My Life As An Overpowered MC is Unexpectedly Right
by smilingsamurai
Summary: High school ends, with Hachiman failing to take any of the routes he could have. And so, a lonely college life begins for him. However, he is given a second chance, to change his life. Maybe he isn't destined to be alone at all. And for some reason, familiar faces keep reappearing... (AU, true harem, extremely OP Hachiman).
1. Chapter 1

****Author's note: So, if you're reading this, you either already know this story, or are a first time reader. If you are one of those who read this the first time around it was posted, I must offer you a sincere apology. I'll be arrogant enough to think that this was a beloved fanfic, a story with a lot of potential, screwed up by my bad decisions. So you wonder, why remove the fic? And why repost it now? Well, the answer is that it hurt to be constantly reminded of what this story could have been. At the time, I was going through some stuff in life, and I just wasn't strong enough to deal with knowing I was letting down my readers too.****

**But that was before. If you've been reading my work, you should know I am a firm believer, that one can ALWAYS fight back and turn things around. And so, even if this fails, I believe this is something I need to do. I am reposting this fic exactly as it was, up to the ending of the Haruno arc, which is the point up to which this fic is genuine. As for the rest, I will be posting NEW chapters that pick up that story from that point on, and cover the rest of the tale and the other routes. This time around, I aim to tell this story the way it actually goes down.**

**And something that needs to be said: I know many of my old readers weren't happy when I deleted my old fics. I was even asked questions like "are you the same smilingsamurai"? I know that many of you won't forgive the way I screwed this fic up the first time, or give this rewrite a chance. But ya know what? I'm going to do it anyway, because I think I owe it to you, to myself, and to this story. And because I think there will be folks who want to know what really happens in this fic!**

**A bunch of you would have checked out my comic on Tapas, and are probably wondering if the Demon will make an appearance in this rewrite, as he did in the old version. The short answer is "no". The Demon is a beloved version of 8man that I came up with, and I think that is what he should ultimately remain. This isn't his story, and he honestly doesn't belong here. I plan on reuploading and finishing the Demon of Sobu High at some point too, but for now, this fic is my goal.**

**If you're a new reader, you probably have no idea what to expect. Well, nothing I can say here will prepare you for it, so the only thing to do is dive in and find out!**

**This is the story of how Hachiman became a crazy OP MC, while remaining the guy we all know and love. It's also my tribute to Oregairu, to a bunch of different anime and DC comics. It's also my critique (and loveletter) for the harem genre.**

**With that being said, let's get this show on the road!**

**Prologue**

Expectation. Pattern. Familiarity. Things that we fall back on. There are people who claim that habit is the killer of growth, but this is debatable. Familiarity is important. And I'm not just saying that because I happen to be a creature of habit who likes to stick to what he knows. Let's take _you _for example. That's right, you, the reader. Familiarity is important for you too. A pattern that you're used to helps you get comfortable, eliminates the need for thought, freeing you to focus on other, more important things. Like enjoying the story. Thus, when you start reading one of my stories, you expect me to begin my narration with a speech about why youth is a lie.

It's familiar, after all, isn't it? And so very _me._ Helps you remember why you identify and relate to Hikigaya Hachiman in the first place. But here is where it gets interesting.

Dear reader, you might be familiar with the idea of a narrative trick. It's a little like a safety blanket. All that spiel about youth and lies and walking alone… let's be honest: that's not what you're here to read at all (especially if you clicked on _this_ story). That introduction serves as a mere blanket, something to camouflage and disguise a character in the garb of someone familiar.

I wish I could have started off this story with a comforting ritual like that. But this tale veers so far away from what's normal for me, that I just wouldn't be able to justify it.

But I'm deviating from my point now. If I can't give you a comfortable start to this story, I might as well give you at least something of a jump-on point.

At the time of the events that serve as the subject matter of our little tale, I'm a college student. I'm in my second year, studying Literature at Chiba University. At twenty years of age, it's been a while since I've decided to move out and live on my own. As much as my younger self preached about how working is equivalent to losing, real life teaches you very quickly that _not working_ is an even more certain path to losing. Thus, one of the things I wanted to gain was independence and self-reliance, both financially and in terms of handling my own life. Living by myself was a crucial step to this. Now, this is far from easy. For someone who had a track record of quitting jobs early, holding on to my employment at the local diner wasn't easy. But, after a while, I managed to get used to it. Taking orders. Doing dishes. In other words, social interaction and manual labour. The two things I hated most of all in the world. But in exchange for them, I got that beautiful thing that all humans desire: money.

My apartment was more than decent and sufficient for my needs. With one bedroom, kitchen, bathroom and hall, it had everything I required. Situated on the third floor, the placement of the windows and balconies let in plenty of cool air during the summer, which was fortunate, since I didn't have air conditioning. The place was clean and the rent was affordable, and all in all, I was quite satisfied with my living conditions. While I didn't get a lot of time to study in the evenings on weekdays because of my job, I took regular notes and paid attention in class, which, combined with diligent work during the weekends, made sure I was keeping up with my coursework. I wasn't top of my class, but my scores were in the top ten, which was good enough for me. In addition, I was doing a basic three-day a week exercise routine to maintain my fitness. Realistically speaking, I wasn't interested in getting jacked or taking part in competitive sports. From a younger age than most, I gave up trying to impress people with physical accomplishments. But after graduating from high school, I realised that the idea of being unfit didn't sit well with me. So I decided to start putting in enough work to meet my own standards, and no one else's. It fit in perfectly with my loner's creed of self-sufficiency, self-awareness and perfect confidence in myself without overestimating my potential or abilities.

Hmm? I'm forgetting something, you say? People from high school? You're going to have to be a bit more specific than that.

_The Service Club._

Ah yes. I thought that might come up. Come to think of it, the whole reason you're even interested in hearing my story was because you got so invested in my youth "romantic comedy". But, as I've told you before, that rom-com was wrong, as expected.

That's not to say that things ended badly. During our final year of high school, all three of us grew up a lot.

For Yuigahama, that meant coming to terms with her one-sided attraction to me. Don't get me wrong. She proved my initial assumptions about her abundantly wrong. Not only was she not the vapid nice girl I had taken her for, she was a splendid woman who won my respect. Out of the three of us, she was the only one willing to get truly dirty to achieve the things she wanted, and she made no apologies or excuses for that. That alone scored a lot of points in my book. After the infamous triple date, she made her move, and asked me out directly, no tricks, roundabout words or methods involved. That honesty blew me away, and I had no choice but to answer in kind. To her credit, she took it much better than I had taken my rejection from Orimoto. We continued to interact normally after that, though there was a marked distance between us. But that was only natural.

For Yukinoshita, the challenge was learning how to make her own decisions, and sticking to them without becoming overly dependant on others. Like with anyone else, that meant going through the harsh difficulties that accompany chasing one's dreams. Her aspirations had once laid in the political arena. But she had enough self-awareness to realise that the role of leader might not be suited for her. Her intelligence and skill were better suited to devising policy and solving problems, leaving the role of inspiring and winning hearts to someone better at social interaction and making difficult choices. After all, her true goal was to better society. If she could do that better outside of politics, then allowing her ego to blind her would have been a mistake. With this in mind, she continued with her international liberal arts course, and at the end of the year, went abroad to pursue studies in economics. She did let us know that after returning, her family had agreed to groom her in preparation for taking up an important role in Yukinoshita Corp.

And that left… me. Hearing Yukinoshita's decision had been difficult. For reasons the reader knows quite well, I didn't want her going that far away. But I had no right to ask her to stay. In true Hikigaya Hachiman fashion, I was unable to confess my feelings to her in the course of that one year. In the end, she was able to achieve her goal of proving herself to her family without my help. I should have been happy. But all I felt was a bitter emptiness. Maybe, somewhere along the line, I had realised that the only importance I would ever have for her would be as a crutch, as a tool, and I was fine with that, as long as I got to stay close to her.

Disgusting.

It was hard to tell what was strongest: my feelings for her, my pain at her going away, or my self-loathing at having strayed so far from my path that I had gotten attached to her.

Graduation came and went. Afterwards, I did not speak with the two of them. The saga of the Service Club was over and done with. It was not a fairy tale ending, but Hiratsuka Sensei's experiment had been successful. All three of us had learnt to adapt to the demands of society without losing who we were as people.

For me, that meant being cynical, over-analytical and ultimately rotten… but being better at hiding all that. I could sense Hiratsuka Sensei's disappointment at that. But she couldn't say a word. After all, no matter what I was inside, I did not resort to my old methods even once during that final year at school. On Graduation Day, I expected her to berate me, but instead, I got one of the few pleasant surprises of the year. It happened _after _the ceremony was over, so I was no longer her student officially. That gave her, for the first time, the freedom to speak to me outside of a teacher-student dynamic. I remember her words quite well. And though I was unable to show my appreciation for them, I'll carry them with me to the end.

"_It's all right that you weren't able to change. I know it goes against everything I've told you so far, but you're fine as you are, Hikigaya. It's okay to want to be happy." _

And thus ended high school. Now, you're probably thinking, "wow, that's a lot of loose ends". Well, that's sort of where this whole crazy story picks up. Little did I know back then, those loose ends were about to make one _hell_ of a comeback in my life.

You see, in life, you get certain chances. Once they're gone, nine times out of ten, that's the end of it. Scratch that. It's probably closer to nine hundred and ninety nine times of a thousand.

But that still leaves that thousandth time. That 0.001 probability that you'll get a chance to do things over. Make things right. That you won't have to spend the rest of your life dealing with regrets and making your peace with the thought that you didn't do what you should have.

Of course, a second chance isn't exactly what you're thinking about when you get run over by a car. Well, maybe you might think of it, but my thoughts were more along the lines of-

"_Fuck. Not again." _

That, right before I lost consciousness.

"_...going under seventy, I was."_

"_Fuck outta here with those excuses. You could've killed him. You realize how screwed we'd be if that happened?"_

"_Look, I said I'm sorry."_

"_Save it. Well, at least he's alive."_

"_Tell me about it. You Rewrite him back into shape?"_

"_Yeah. Just finished Rewriting the last of the damage. He should be waking up any second now."_

To be clear, I was lying down on some sort of soft surface, which I knew must be a bed, and had my eyes closed. That last line seemed to be the cue for me to open my eyes and reveal that I was conscious. A little cautiously, I did so, slowly allowing myself to get adjusted to the bright light.

Moving my head, I looked at the owners of the two voices I had been hearing. Neither of them appeared to be Japanese. One of them was a tall blonde guy who I immediately disliked because he reminded me of someone else. The other shorter man was dark-haired and seemed to be Asian, but it was hard to tell where he exactly he was from.

"Hey, you're awake", said the blonde. "How're you feeling? Any pain?"

I shook my head.

"I'm all right", I replied. "How am I all right anyway? Wasn't I smacked by a car?"

The guy rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, smiling awkwardly.

"Well, that's actually my bad. Sorry, dude. I really should have been paying more attention to the road."

He looked so apologetic about it, it was hard to hold a grudge against him.

Besides, I didn't seem to be hurting anywhere. A little tentatively, I swung my legs off the bed and sat up straight.

The dark-haired one chose that moment to speak.

"You're probably wondering how you're not injured at all. Believe it or not, we are going to explain that. Now, normally, this part of the story is unnecessarily long because people are dumb enough to try to explain things to the protagonist and hope he'll understand them. That's straight-up stupid. So, I'm going to show you instead."

He took out a smartphone from one of his pockets.

Tapping the screen a couple of times, he shot me a question.

"In a role-playing game, what character do you like playing?"

That was a weird question to be asking out of nowhere, but the whole situation was so far past the line that separated normal and weird, I decided to just answer him.

"Warriors are kinda cool."

He nodded, as if understanding.

"High strength and vitality stats, heavy weaponry, plus that physique is a hit with the girls, am I right?"

I nodded.

He tapped his screen a few more times, and I felt a strange sensation in my body. It was completely unlike anything I had experienced before, in that I _knew_ that this sensation wasn't something my nerves were carrying to my brain. It felt more like the individual molecules of my body were somehow being manipulated. Within a few seconds, the feeling stopped, and I looked down at myself, to see that I was now…

_Completely jacked?_

What the hell?

I clenched and unclenched my fingers, watching with stunned fascination as the muscles of my now thick arms responded to the movement by flexing and rippling. I had actual pectorals now, and lower down, each of my abdominals was clearly defined.

I looked up at the two guys, both of whom burst into laughter, high-fiving each other.

"Man, that one never gets old."

"Hahahah you see the look on his face? The look of knowing he never has to hit the gym again?"

"Hahahaha ah, boy. Unfortunately, dude. This particular Rewrite is not the one we came here to do."

He tapped the screen again, and once more, I felt the particles of my body being altered, and within seconds, I was back to my regular self again. I couldn't help but feel a slight tinge of disappointment.

"Can't I stay that way?" I asked, half-joking.

"Nah, dude. We would've let you, but the higher-ups would have our heads for it. Besides, take it from someone who knows: your real strengths lie elsewhere."

I nodded. I already knew that.

"But we needed a way to show you what we could do, so we did. Now, I know you're a smart guy, so why don't _you_ tell us what we just did?"

What had just happened would normally be considered impossible. But I was a person who believed very firmly in his ability to distinguish illusion from reality, and I knew that what I had just experienced had very much actually happened. Knowing this, it wouldn't do to dwell on pre-conceived notions of "possible" and "impossible".

Thus, I considered everything I knew about the situation logically, combining it with what I knew from being a massive closet Otaku before answering.

"You used that phone to change my data. That data determines everything about me, so, by changing it, you're able to change any and all attributes of mine, including but not limited to physical appearance."

The two of them grinned at me, clearly impressed and pleased that I had caught on quickly.

"Bingo. And thus, you saved us a lengthy and boring exposition. So, we'll get right to it then. How do you think we are able to Rewrite, or modify, your data?"

I shrugged.

"You're some sort of beings from a higher dimension who're in-charge of maintaining order here… or something like that."

"Er… close enough. Look, the ones who take care of these operations aren't gods or deities. But you are right in that they're beings from a higher dimension. They're able to Rewrite data of any of the universes on this dimensional level, creating and altering alternate versions of them. There're even alternate versions of you. Heck, there's one where you _do _actually get all buffed up, and become a badass martial artist as well."

"Really?" I raised an eyebrow. I found that hard to believe. Harder than all this stuff about beings "Writing" my universe.

"Yep", the dark-haired one said. "Now, the reason we're here, is because the Writer overseeing this universe has taken a great interest in you, and has sent us here to make certain changes to your data. Once these changes are done, your life is about to become radically different. Hopefully in a good way."

"Wait, hopefully?"

"So, the changes. Once again, we're going to explain by demonstration rather than exposition."

"Hey, you kinda ignored my question there."

Without paying any attention to me, he tapped away at his screen. Once more, I felt something in me change, but this time, it wasn't a change in my physical structure. It felt more like some _aspect_ of me was being altered.

"Aaaaand done", he said, putting his phone away. Looking at me, he asked a question.

"You like visual novels?"

Normally, this question, coming from a fellow adult who was a complete stranger to me, would have been intensely embarrassing, but given the current situation, and the fact that these two were directly modifying who and what I was, such feelings didn't really apply.

"I guess. I mean, I've read my share of them."

"Excellent. That means you're familiar with their basic structure and tropes."

I nodded.

"Well, long story short, you've just been granted the Trait of a harem protagonist."

.

.

A moment passed by in silence. I could picture a gust of wind blowing a leaf through the scene.

"What did you just say?"

"Focus, dude. Harem protagonist. You're now one."

"Wait wait wait. That's the part. It just doesn't make any sense. Could you explain it?"

The two of them exchanged a look.

"Yep, he's definitely an MC."

"I mean, he was smart until a second ago. Now he seems to have picked up trademark MC-level density."

"Hey, I'm right here, you know?"

They looked at me.

"Then stop acting like you don't understand. Look, you're smarter than the typical protag, all right? It's what makes your story fresh and interesting. Please don't become another walking cliche?"

I clenched my teeth.

"All right fine! No more jokes, then. Why the hell have I been made into a harem MC? And what's this Trait you keep talking about anyway?"

"There we go. Now those are some smart questions. To answer the first: it's because you're interesting, and because you met the conditions for becoming one."

"Conditions? What are those?"

He sighed, muttering to himself about how he wanted to avoid exposition. Pulling a face that bespoke resignation to an unpleasant task, he began to explain.

"A True Harem MC does not fall under the genres of NTR, adultery, or regular group affairs. That shit is for average joes who lack commitment. And NTR is a trash fetish. But getting back to the point. A True Harem MC is an individual who possesses the ability to give real happiness to more than one lover. Now, you're probably thinking, it's impossible to look for happiness in another person, and you're correct, but try to understand what I'm saying here. For a fully self-actualized person, in other words, someone who's mature and well in the process of their own growth, one of the things they look for is a partner who will further that growth, bringing out the best in them. The pair will find genuine happiness in being with each other, and what exists between them is an actual bond rather than mere acceptance or compromise. For most people, only one such person exists at a time. Sometimes, it is possible to meet multiple such people over the course of one's life. These things vary. For the women who are connected to him, the True Harem MC is the ideal partner."

I nodded numbly, barely able to keep up, although everything he was saying was basic knowledge to any self-respecting Otaku, including myself. Somehow, hearing it all stated matter-of-factly was different from reading it on websites dedicated to trope analysis.

He continued.

"In your case, you definitely meet the requirements. You've met several women in your life, with each of whom has existed the possibility of something genuine between you and them. However, you've not chosen any of the 'routes'. Primarily because you're a self-deprecating little punk."

"Hey, you're kinda rubbing salt in my wounds right now."

"Now, here's the part where it gets super interesting", he said, once more ignoring my protests. "You see, being a partner who can provide a happy future is not the only characteristic of a Harem protag. That much depends, as you realise, on his physical and mental qualities. In those categories, you had what it took. But a Harem protag has one special ability, a unique quality that no other Trope possesses. We call this quality his Trait."

"What's the Trait?" I ask, curious now.

"The Harem protagonist's Trait is a special quality that allows the formation and maintenance of an unbreakable bond between him and any persons he has a possible Good End with. Essentially, it's an overpowered ability that ensures that it's impossible for him to be NTR'd, or otherwise robbed of a Good End by any means."

"Isn't that kind of a hax ability?"

"It's super OP, dude. It ensures complete loyalty. Of course, a Harem protag, by definition, is so dense, that he's automatically loyal. Combine the two qualities, and you have a character with a team that can have any range of abilities. The complete squad, if you will."

"Okay…"

"Now here's the thing: prior to today, you didn't possess the Trait. Or rather, to be more precise, it lay dormant in you. All we did, was come here and awaken it."

"YOU DID WHAT?"

"We awakened your Trait."

Oh boy. This was not good. _Wait, hold on. Isn't this actually really good? I mean, losing my virginity is almost a certainty now. Hey, hold on. What's with this way of thinking? What about my pride and dignity as a loner? Am I really veering off the path of the loner now- AAUGGHH!_

I spit out blood, coughing severely.

"Oh yeah, now that your Trait is active, any time you even think of choosing the Bad End, your healthbar drops a bit."

"Bad End?"

"Oh, that pathetic shit about how you're going to be alone and all that crap. Seriously, dude, ditch that gimmick quick."

"Hey, hold on. Are you telling me I don't even the choice of being alone anymore?"

He sighed.

"You are literally stepping on the dreams of everyone reading this fanfic right now."

"...what?"

"Never mind. Listen. You can still choose the Bad End. The choice is _always _up to you. But it's called the Bad End for the reason. Why are you so fixated on being alone anyway?"

"Because I…"

The words died in my mouth. No, that's incorrect. The words didn't exist in the first place. Once upon a time, I would have been able to speak at length about why I trusted only myself, about why walking alone was the best, and only, choice for me. But today, every one of my assumptions had been shattered. Heck, even before today, a lot of things had changed since high school. Really, three years is a long time to hold a grudge over one middle school rejection. The Service Club had been proof that not everyone I meet is going to be fake. If that was true, then was it really so wrong to "go for one of the Routes"?

Before I could answer my own question, the man spoke again.

"Well, we'll leave the choice to you. The Writer insisted that you be the one to choose. You'll find happiness no matter which of the Routes you choose, apart from the Bad End. Historically speaking, most Harem Protags have ultimately chosen a single Route, after managing to ensure a Good End for everyone else. Of course, there is one other possible ending. It's a thing of legend, something that only exists in myth… could it be that you're the one who will… no, I'm getting ahead of myself. In any case, good luck, Hikigaya. Don't forget to read the Tutorial if you don't understand anything."

With that, the two of the vanished into thin air, like wisps of smoke, leaving me shouting my lungs out at nothing.

The world started to darken, and I felt myself losing consciousness, _again_.

_Damn amateur doesn't even know how to transition scenes properly._

I woke up breathing heavily.

That had been one weird dream. Couldn't really call it a nightmare though. Although, I wish it had lasted a little longer. Would have been good to see some actual action.

Ah well. Never mind.

I checked the watch on the bedside table. It was 6 AM. Time for my morning jog. Getting off the bed, I changed into the shorts and vest I worked out in, grabbed my key and locked the door behind me as I exited.

I lightly jogged down the stairs before finding a comfortable pace on the pavement outside. Running on concrete isn't really great for the knees, so it was fortunate there was a rather large park close by, which is where I actually did most of my cardio.

As I ran towards that park, I couldn't help but think of the dream I had had. Harem Protagonist? Trait?

Hah. What rubbish. If that were true, I wouldn't be able to get through even this morning workout without something cliched happenin-

WHAM.

I collided with a body, nearly getting knocked off my feet.

A high pitched exclamation clued me in as to the sex of the person I'd just ran into. Clutching my head, and still seeing stars, I unconsciously reached out a hand to help her up to her feet, apologizing as I did so.

"I'm extremely sorry. Should've looked where I was going. Are you all right?"

She took my hand and got to her feet, rubbing her head. I noticed her hair was blonde, and cut short, falling just short of her shoulders.

"Oww… no, it's OK. I should've been more careful too."

As my head stopped spinning, I took a better look at her. She seemed to have recovered as well, and lowered the hand rubbing her forehead, allowing me to get my first proper look at her face. As each detail became embedded in my brain, I felt my jaw drop a little.

Smooth cheeks, sharp but pleasant nose, full lips… and fiery emerald eyes.

"Miura?"

Her eyes narrowed, before widening in recognition.

"Hikio?"

Some words from the dream played in my head at that exact moment.

_You've met several women in your life, with each of whom has existed the possibility of something genuine between you and them._

_We awakened your Trait._

I looked into Miura's eyes, and noticed that her cheeks had developed a faint red colour on them.

_OH. NO._


	2. Chapter 2

**Reawakening**

"Miura?"

…

"Hikio?"

We managed to hold eye contact for about three seconds before we both looked away, although our reasons for doing so were more than likely different. Still, three seconds had been more than enough for me to notice the deadly signs of what was going on. Dilation of the pupils. A faint blush on her cheeks. Mouth slightly open, lips glistening. Just thinking about the face she had shown me was making even my hardened heart beat wildly in my chest.

_What the hell is with the OP technique? Kaio Ken and Final Flash have nothing on her! Scary, with a single look, she almost had me asking her out and getting rejected. _

I blinked. That wasn't right. That wasn't correct at all. A fast-forwarded version of the "dream" I'd had last night played out in my head. Her reaction just now confirmed that it hadn't been a dream at all. After all, I had seen a look like that before. It was an expression many mangaka had gotten extremely good at drawing, an expression that showed up pretty much at the precise moment a girl fell for the protagonist, and the fact that Miura of all people just had it on her face was undeniable proof that I did indeed have a "Protagonist's Trait."

_Right?_

_Pfft._

_Fuck no._

_There's no way, that's true, right? _

I looked at her again. It's been two years since Graduation, which is when I last saw her. She's definitely changed since then. Miura was the athletic type, but a lot of her talent at sports had remained unexplored thanks to how much time she had spent fawning over that thrice-damned Riajuu bastard. Now, I'm not sure about you, but fit girls are actually incredibly attractive. That perfect blend of lean muscle and feminine softness resulted in a body that was essentially a one-look knockout. Miura had already possessed this quality in high school, although her bitchy personality took away any points she might have scored in my book.

The Miura now on the other hand? I don't want to be ripping off a popular American pro wrestler, but dammmnnn. She was dressed in shorts that ended fairly high up, revealing shapely, toned thighs. Her tank top was tied off above the navel, exposing a slim, smooth waist and abdominals that had beads of sweat running down it. A little higher up, her top was soaked through to an extent, giving a fantastic view of the sports bra underneath, which hugged her bountiful assets.

Now, if that had been all, I might not have been affected that strongly. I mean, who am I kidding. Her body was _extremely _attractive, and would have, at some time or another, found its way into a fantasy.

But what really had my heart pounding was how different she looked as a _person._ Her hair was cut shorter now, reaching barely down her neck. It was almost the sort of cut a boy would have got. That, and none of the former bitch aspects of hers were evident anywhere. She wasn't insulting me (not yet anyway), and her eyes, which had once looked at anything that wasn't Hayama with scorn, were now glittering, looking at me shyly.

The overall impact of seeing the Fire Queen transformed into Awkward Sports Girl… was a critical hit on all levels.

_Okay… this isn't good at all. Have I really been so deprived of female company that this much is enough to have me in this condition?_

I took a deep breath, shaking my head.

_This is ridiculous. I'm 20 years old. A little late for my Chuuni stage, by all means. I'm probably exaggerating her reactions mentally._

Dismissing any and all ridiculous notions of protagonist-status from my mind, I decided to man up and endure my punishment for carelessly bumping into an old classmate. I had certainly been at fault here, and as much as I loathed human interaction, it behoved me to at least apologize and maybe exchange a word or two in acknowledgement that we weren't complete strangers.

With that in mind, I cleared my throat. Still unable to quite look her in the eye, I began an attempt at communication.

"Ah, it really is Miura. Sorry about that. I should have been a lot more careful…" I trailed off, unable to find anything to keep the sentence going with.

"N-no, it's OK. Like I said, I should have watched where I was going too", she muttered, likewise unable to make eye contact.

For an intensely embarrassing moment, the two of us stayed like that, simply standing there, not saying anything, before I decided enough was enough.

_This is getting ridiculous. _

_Am I really getting so flustered over a dream and a chance meeting? I'm not in middle school anymore. To think I haven't learnt anything in all these years._

All of this began with a misunderstanding, all those years ago.

The Hikigaya Hachiman back then hadn't been able to recognize Orimoto's kindness for what it was: kindness. Something she gave to everyone, and not me specially. I had been unable to see her properly, and had developed a one-sided crush on her based on my warped mental image of the circumstances.

While I had taken the lessons I had learnt from that experience too far with how I had been in my first two years of high school, automatically assuming anyone and everyone I met had ulterior motives in speaking to me, there was no denying that I had learnt something valuable from it.

Most interactions with girls are just that. Interactions. They don't necessarily mean anything. Assigning importance to coincidental events and looking for special meaning where none existed was a habit of those who were lonely and dissatisfied with their lives.

I wasn't like those people.

I was nothing if not self-aware. And that self-awareness gave me peace, gave me control. I never had any expectations from myself that I couldn't fulfill, and thus, I was never disappointed.

Remembering that code, that code I lived by, calmed me. This was just another meaningless encounter. As such, it didn't really matter what I did here.

Besides, Miura had been a real bitch to me back in high school. I didn't actually have any obligation to be nice to her.

With that in mind, I decided to do the minimum that was expected of any decent member of society before proceeding with my morning workout.

All traces of nervousness gone, I decided to finish off this encounter quickly.

"Sorry about that", I said with perfect politeness and a voice that was _just _short of being deadpan. "I was in a little bit of a rush and wasn't paying attention to my surroundings. I hope you didn't scrape yourself anywhere."

Of course, I knew perfectly well that she hadn't, given she'd pretty much fallen on her butt instead of skidding along the ground.

"A-a-ah n-no… I'm fine…", she stuttered, waving her hands frantically in front of her.

I raised an eyebrow.

_What's with that response? Has her personality really changed that much since high school?_

_Well, whatever. It's none of my business._

"I see. Well, then, don't let me keep you."

With that, I was about to resume my run, when she spoke.

"H-hey, hold on!"

She was surprisingly loud with that statement, and I stopped and frowned at her.

"I-I mean, it's been two years since we last met, and y-you just up and walk away like that…"

I wasn't quite able to catch those last words.

"Come again?" I said.

She looked at me, emerald eyes glittering, and once again, I felt my heart thump wildly for a moment. _This isn't good. This can't be good for my health, can it?_

"Y-you want to catch up?" she mumbled, almost too softly for me to hear.

…

_Wait. Did she just?_

_No. No way. I must have imagined it. I imagined it, right?_

"Umm… could you repeat that?"

"Mou… Hikio…" she pouted. I felt a burning heat creeping up my face. _What's with this unbearably cute expression? Are you trying to kill me?_

"I said, you want to go somewhere and catch up?"

The sheer impossibility of the request (this was the goddamn Fire Queen, who totally treated me like crap in school, asking to hang out with me), combined with the tone in which she put it forward, managed to elicit an answer from me before I could properly think about it.

"Sure."

No sooner had the the word left my lips than I found myself screaming inside.

_Noooooooooo. Noooooooooo. _

Gintoki Sakata himself would have been proud of the pain I was injecting into my mental shouts of anguish.

"That's it, keep your elbows in a bit more."

Following her advice, I powered through the last three repetitions of push ups before getting to my feet. I took a deep breath and exhaled, feeling the burn in my chest and arms.

"That wasn't bad, Hikio", said Miura, holding out a bottle of water for me, which I accepted and took a drink from. Indirect kissing is not that big of a deal once you're done with high school.

Ultimately, since neither of us wanted to skip our workout, we decided to reach a compromise, and do our exercises together. It goes without saying, but Miura was in far better shape than me. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't have been surprised if she told me she was a pro athlete or trainer.

Since I'm not the type to get butthurt over things like that, I saw the benefit in the situation, and got some excellent advice from her on how to make a few small modifications to each item on my routine, which drastically changed how much they strained my body.

I tried to remain focused throughout, but that was extremely hard, considering the fact that there was a lithe, supple body getting into all sorts of poses right next to me as Miura went through her own routine. That wasn't all either. As often as I kept throwing not-so-involuntary glances at her, I spotted her staring at me just as often, and always averting her gaze whenever I caught her at it.

While I was calm (hopefully) on the surface, inside, I was, as the Americans say, "tripping out".

_Okay. This is really happening. It's not a drill, it's not a dream. It's actually happening. I thought that initial blush was just a reaction to body heat. But we're still hanging out, although we were almost strangers at school. And I see the way she's looking at me._

This wasn't just some sort of Chuuni delusion. Everything that was happening right now was exactly the sort of contrived and impossible development that takes place in trashy VNs and harem manga.

_What the hell am I supposed to do now? _

We were both done with the workout, and decided to rest for a while on a bench in the park. As we sat down, I noticed several things about her body language.

While she wasn't too close to me, her knees were pointing in my direction, as was her torso, to some extent. Normally, this is a clear sign of interest on the part of the person who does it.

In addition, there was also the way she kept her arms, not crossing them in front of her body, instead positioning them by her side while her hands were on her lap.

A mix between being open and shy.

_All right, calm down._

_Calm down? How the hell am I supposed to do that? The Protagonist Trait. It's real, and she's responding to it. Pretty much everything I do is going to raise a flag now, won't it? _

_Maybe I can back out of it somehow? All right, let's see. That guy said the choice is ultimately mine. That means, I can deliberately fuck this up, righ-_

A violent fit of coughing interrupted me, along with a flashback to something else that mysterious guy had said.

"_Any time you even think of choosing the Bad End, your healthbar drops a bit."_

My eyes widened. He hadn't been kidding. A single thought had been enough to trigger this coughing fit. What would happen if I were to actually do something to actively avoid any girl who fell for my Protagonist Trait?

I shook my head. Before I could think any further on the matter, I was interrupted by Miura's voice.

"Hikio? Are you okay?"

She was looking at me with an expression of such genuine concern on her face, that for a moment, I felt enormously guilty for even thinking of finding a way to ditch her. It was a feeling I'd experienced before, but only vicariously. A feeling any otaku is familiar with.

Let me ask the reader a question. If you're reading this, you've definitely read at least one harem manga. Generally speaking, even if you're someone who believes that all the girls in the series are great, you still tend to have a few favourites, or a single favourite. And whenever "best girl" is getting the short end of the stick, or about to be dumped by the MC, you feel… the sheer _wrongness _of it.

Harems are inherently unrealistic, a concept from a bygone age of heathen kings and feudal lords. Yet, to otaku, that fantasy represents something else.

Honestly, no true otaku thinks of women as possessions.

How could we? For us, who fail at real life relationships, understanding and appreciating the women from our beloved manga is part of what makes the experience so meaningful.

It's why it sucks so bad whenever your waifu loses, although she should be winning.

The whole train of thought was ridiculous, something that had no place outside of fantasies. But I was in a situation where fantasy and reality no longer had a dividing line between them.

What did I actually know about Miura? Next to nothing. The little I did know gave me no reason to get closer to her. Despite all that, she was here, in this cliched scene with me. But this wasn't a VN or a dating sim. It wasn't a manga or an anime. It was actually happening. And that meant, that to her, who didn't know that all of this was triggered because some extradimensional asshole had given me a special Trait…

It meant, that, this moment, to Yumiko Miura…

Was _genuine._

Knowing that, suddenly, I realised how cowardly I'd been a second ago, trying to find a way to weasel out of this without even considering her feelings.

As she continued to look at me with those intense eyes, my mind raced.

_This isn't a story in some book, or a game. It's actually happening. Do I want something with Miura? _

She was undeniably sexy, but honestly, that much isn't enough to get into a relationship over, and no matter how much of a virgin I was, one-time things just weren't what I wanted.

_Well, for a moment, let me think. What if I didn't have this Trait?_

_Wouldn't I at least want to get to know her a little before deciding?_

That was a decision I could live with.

Having resolved that, I turned to her.

"I'm all right. Maybe I caught a cold or something", I said.

"That's no good. You gotta be a bit more careful, you know", she replied.

I sighed.

_Can't beat around the bush forever._

"So, what've you been doing since high school?" I asked her.

"EHH? Ah… I'm studying at Chiba University. The Business Administration Course."

"Ah, I see. I happen to be there as well. Literature."

"Really? I've never seen you around on campus!" she said, looking slightly excited.

"I don't spend a lot of time on campus", I said. "It's mostly just go, attend classes, leave."

A second after I've said the words, I realize that I've set myself up for a roast.

_Miura was never as creative as Yukinoshita with her insults, but what she lacked in innovation, she made up for with venom._

Surprisingly, the insult never came.

There was a distant look in her eyes as she spoke softly.

"Ah yes. That sounds like you. You were like that in school as well."

I stared at her, pretty much stunned.

_Did she just indirectly imply that back then, she… no, that can't be. She clearly had a thing for Hayama back then. Besides, I didn't have my Trait active at that time, so she couldn't have fallen for me. I'm guessing this is just a side effect of what's happening now. You know, where you look back fondly on earlier memories, though they were nothing special._

Still, her words managed to bring a question out of me, a question that I wasn't even planning on asking.

"Hey, Miura. What exactly happened to you?"

She flinched at that, and the response told me that I had hit the nail on the head.

_Something _definitely had happened, to make her change this much.

"Miura?"

"A-ah, nothing. You talk as if I'm a completely different person now, Hikio, hahaha!"

She tried to laugh it off, but I knew it was a front. But I also knew that she wouldn't tell me if I pushed for an answer now. So I decided to let it go… at least for the moment.

"Still, you're on a completely different level now", I said, hoping to change the topic. "Are you on one of the University sports teams? You look like you could be a pro!"

In typical fashion, the single compliment was enough to turn her complexion more red by two hundred percent as she struggled to get a coherent response out.

"A-ah, I-I-I'm on the t-tennis team…", she said. "Hikio, you used to be pretty good at tennis too. Do… do you want to come try out for the team?"

I seriously considered her words.

To be honest, I was never great at tennis, but considering the fact that most people around me were average, barring a few exceptions, I'd stood out. Of course, I'd gotten better due to all the practice matches I'd had with Totsuka.

I wasn't really interested in joining the tennis club. But I was interested in learning more about Miura, and what had triggered this much of a change in her.

_Maybe that would be a good place to start my investigations._

"All right!" I said.

Instantly, her eyes lit up like a pair of stars.

"Really?!"

…

**Later that Day:**

And so it came to pass that after classes ended, I stuck around on campus waiting for Tennis Club practice to begin so I could go see what exactly the group was like.

As I hung around on campus, it occurred to me that I really should spend a little more time here. I barely knew the place. I mean, even I was an utter social failure, the area was beautiful, and it be worth it just to check everything out.

"There we go. Now you're thinking like a Protagonist."

I whipped my head around, almost spitting out the MAX coffee I had been drinking. There on the bench next to me was the dark haired, Asian-looking dude who had so nonchalantly altered my data, and activated my Trait.

"You." I said, glaring at him.

"Woah, what's with all the hostility, man."

"Oh, this isn't anywhere close to how hostile I'm feeling right now…"

"Cut the crap, dude. Deep down, you love the fact that a hot chick is talking to you. Heck, deep down in your pants, you _absolutely_ love it."

The unnecessarily lewd imagery managed to make me even blush.

"Dude, you hitting on me or something? Sorry, but you're no Totsuka, so I'ma have to pass."

He snorted.

"Nice comeback. I rate eight out of eight. Get it? Cause you're '8man'?"

I gave him a blank stare. This guy… I now knew for certain that the dream had been no dream at all.

"So. You're probably wondering why I turned up here today."

"Damn straight I'm wondering."

"Well, today's a momentous occasion. You're about to face your first true test as a Harem Protagonist."

I cursed inwardly.

"I already know this is going to be some kind of shitstorm. Can you at least give me an idea of what to expect?"

Ignoring my question, he decided to ask one of his own.

"Hey, Hikigaya. You remember what I told you about the Harem MC being a chance at true happiness for the girls who bond with him?"

Frowning, I nodded.

"Well, what do you think happens to someone when they miss their one big shot at happiness. You think everyone's lucky enough to get a second chance?"

"What the hell are you talking abo-"

"You're a guy who's read plenty of these manga. And like everyone else, you were probably jealous. I mean, who wouldn't be jealous of a guy who had so many beautiful women fawning over him? Issei Hyoudou, Emiya Shirou… you know the MC. But you know… being that guy isn't easy."

He looked me straight in the eye.

"A true Harem protagonist cares for his girls, and stands up and fights for them. It's so easy to write that off or laugh at it. Calling it cliche anime bullshit. But level with me, dude. How many people actually have what it takes to stand up for someone?"

His words sent a shock through me.

The man got up and turned to leave.

"Just something to think about", he said, before walking away.

What he had said… weighed heavily on me. To care for the girls… I mean, I didn't even know Miura. And she had always treated me like crap.

But she had changed, hadn't she?

Should I really be holding the past against her?

Shaking my head, I checked my watch. It was about time for the Tennis Club's practice. I checked the campus map App I had downloaded, and began to make my way over to the courts.

It took me a few minutes to reach them, since the campus was fairly large. When I did, I could see from a distance away that there were people already gathered there. While some of them were doing calisthenics and stretches past the boundaries of the courts, others were warming up with some rallies.

_Well, this is the place. _

Miura had told me that the Club had a policy of accepting members looking to try out at any time of the year. The main reason was that most of the members in the club, especially the seniors, were already too old for the teen level tournaments, and thus, were unlikely to go pro. Instead, the Club participated against other amateur groups on the College circuit, and the standards were surprisingly high. Thus, they were in a strange situation, where they wanted to recruit more members, but couldn't really accept anyone and everyone. Despite that, they still seemed to have a decent number.

I had packed a pair of shorts and a t shirt into my bag. Racquets would be provided here, so I didn't have to worry about that. I was also wearing a pair of Nikes, which were my default footwear, since they combined comfort with mobility.

As I approached, I tried to spot Miura, but couldn't see her anywhere on the courts. I drew closer, and eventually, was able to hear voices coming from the locker room area. There were two sheds, each of them marked with a sign that indicated whether it was for men or women.

The shed I was close to was the one for women, and soon, I was at the distance where I was able to make out what they were saying inside.

"... well, Miura? It looks like you were bluffing. As expected."

"That… that's not true! He said he'd be here!" Miura's voice sounded agitated, desperate.

The other voices, all of them female, had a taunting edge to them.

"Oh? Did he now? Imaginary boyfriends make promises these days, do they?"

"He's not imaginary!" said Miura with strength.

There was a pause from inside before several voices broke out in laughter.

"Hahahaha… Miura san… you're trying a little too hard to fit in, aren't you?"

"Look at her. This pathetic girl. Why don't you get it into your head? You're a nobody here, and a nobody is all you'll remain."

"No matter how good you are at this game. Consider that your one redeeming quality, Miura. You're our workhorse. That's the only reason you're in this Club. Not because anyone wants you around."

Once again, the laughter broke out.

As the voices rang in my ears, they seemed to synchronize with other voices… voices from my past.

"_A nobody… that's all he is."_

"_Hahahaha… that nobody decided to ask out Orimoto? Hahahahaha!"_

"_Hikicreep."_

"_Stay away, dude. Nobody wants you around." _

I could feel myself clenching my fists, nails digging into my flesh.

The words that extradimensional guy had said to me suddenly made so much sense.

"_Well, what do you think happens to someone when they miss their one big shot at happiness. You think everyone's lucky enough to get a second chance?"_

Something had happened. To Miura. Something that had completely flipped her position in the social hierarchy. The one who had been at the top back then was at the bottom now.

What exactly was it? What was intense enough that it had broken her confidence so completely? Turned her from the imperious Fire Queen to this meek and demure girl who was being abused and pushed around?

I didn't know yet.

As a rule, I fucking hate protagonists.

I hate their guts with every fibre of my being.

Perfect bodies, perfect minds, perfect lives. Convenient new powers and shit tons of plot armour. Everything about them was designed to always win, at the last moment, snatching the victory away from an antihero who would be destined to remain in the shadows.

I hate the way heroes smile when they save the day, all smug and satisfied, the shining examples and manifestations of all that's good in humanity.

It makes me want to puke.

There's nothing good about humanity.

We're a bunch of depraved creatures, who get off on shoving others down, and building our success on their corpses.

So naturally, I hated saving the day. It was not what I believed in.

Because I'd spent my entire life knowing I'd never have the power to change anything.

I wasn't a hero.

Even so, I felt this boiling anger within me. It didn't matter that I wasn't a hero. It didn't matter that I wasn't a good guy. It didn't matter that I hated cliched situations where someone jumps in and protects everyone.

"_A true Harem protagonist cares for his girls, and stands up and fights for them. It's so easy to write that off or laugh at it. Calling it cliche anime bullshit. But level with me, dude. How many people actually have what it takes to stand up for someone?"_

I took out my phone and dialled Miura's number. As the call went through, I walked around the shed till I was standing right in front of its entrance. From here, I could actually hear her ringtone from inside.

The locker room had gone deadly silent. The only sound was the tone of the _Berserk_ opening, which was her tone.

After a moment, she picked up.

"H-Hikio?"

Her voice was trembling. There was none of the arrogance or venom I'd come to associate with the Fire Queen in it. There was pain… and a little hope.

"I'm standing near the courts. Where are you? Are we having this tryout or not?"

"I'm coming! Stay right there!"

She ended the call, and within seconds, the door of the locker shed opened, and she rushed outside.

The sheer joy that lit up her face when she saw me put any doubts I might have had to rest.

"You came!" she said, rushing right up to me.

There was such an honest, open tone to her voice, that I couldn't help allow a little smile to make its way onto my face.

"I said I'd be here, didn't I?"

"Yeah. You did."

She gave me a radiant smile, her cheeks slightly flushed.

_Has anyone ever told you… you're beautiful? _

"So this is him?"

The girls whose voices I had heard earlier had made their way outside as well, and were looking at us with a mixture of curiousity, disdain, and amused disgust.

_Heh. You really won't get any new recruits if that's how you behave._

"He doesn't look like an athlete at all. You sure this guy plays tennis?"

"She probably picked up the first fuccboi dumb enough to fall for it and roped him into coming here."

Once again, they started laughing.

Miura looked at me, desperately trying to convey with her face what she could not with her words.

Maybe no one else would have got it.

But a loner who had spent countless hours simply observing people, learning to read what was unspoken, could understand everything.

_I'm sorry. I should have told you. But you have to believe me, I wasn't just using you._

The Hikigaya Hachiman from high school wouldn't have believed her. Heck, even the Hikigaya Hachiman from a few days ago wouldn't have.

But at that moment, I had pushed away all my doubts. The constant mental weight of thoughts that I carry all the time. So I knew for a fact that I wasn't reading her wrong. She might have faked it if she were speaking. But that look in her eyes… was impossible to fake.

I gripped her hand gently for a moment, giving her what I hoped was a reassuring look, before returning my attention to the other girls.

It was inconceivable for me to be confident. To actually desire confrontation. Even during all the shit I had got into with the Service Club, I'd always been a coward. Always taking the easy way out.

Maybe that's why.

Maybe I was pissed enough that all these years of frustration and anger were finally making their way out.

I normally keep my expression deadpan. It's one of the reasons people say I look lazy. I'd learnt to do it years ago, because whenever I got serious, people said my eyes creeped them out.

I was _not _deadpan at the moment.

I allowed my emotions to show through, _willing _them to show as I glared at them, holding nothing back.

The effect was instantaneous, and they all took half a step back.

"Miura, Chiba University is truly wonderful. I don't think there's another College in the world that's as open as this. I mean, look. Right here, we have a tennis club where human beings and _bitches_ get to play together."

Blank silence met my words, and every pair of eyes belonging to that group of vicious girls widened.

"W-what did you just say?"

"Look, Miura. More proof of how wonderful our educational system is. They've managed to train even animals to speak like human beings."

"You… you fucking creep!"

"Careful now. You might give yourself a hernia."

We had very much created a scene now, and several other members of the club had gathered around us, watching it unfold.

Strangely, I felt calm.

So calm. Entirely at home in that situation.

You could say I revelled in it.

_(Author's note: Tokyo Ghoul- Unravel is highly recommended for this part)_

If I was a character in an RPG, I'd be the furthest thing from a warrior.

My physical strength stat was low, so was my constitution. I didn't know any martial arts. I probably couldn't even throw a decent punch.

My power lay elsewhere.

If there was one thing I believed in, it was my intelligence stat. No matter what anyone tells you, brains are a weapon. I had just never used mine as one before.

I looked at the normies gathered around me.

_Time to get started. _

"It's funny. You talk about how you want new members, but when someone turns up, what do they find? That promising players are bullied. That really sucks, you know? I was even thinking of joining up."

"Wh-what the hell are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb", I said, narrowing my eyes at the girl. I raised my phone. "The evidence is here. I recorded your little locker room talk. Hey, I wonder how the Club Overseers would like it if I sent this to them in a nice MP3 format?"

They instantly went pale.

_So easy to read. You wear your hearts on your sleeves, body language giving away everything about you._

I subtly looked around, quickly taking in everyone's reactions. Judging by what I was seeing, none of these girls were the Club President, nor were they very high up the Club's hierarchy. Most people were muttering to each other, looking at them with disgust.

_Excellent. I've already alienated most of your support base._

There were three or four guys who looked pissed, but they were a small minority. I took note of their faces.

I continued.

"Miura is one of your best players, right? You all know her. How many medals has she won for you?"

I looked around at all of them. To do this right, I needed to make sure I placed her in a position of power.

"You just going to let your ace players, the ones working their asses off for this Club, get pushed around like that?"

Angry murmurs started to fill the air, and more than one pissed off glance was targeted at the ones who had been tormenting Miura.

"_He's right…"_

"_Miura always trains hard… I can't believe they've been giving her shit…"_

"_They're pushing her around just because they're third years? That's fucked up."_

Time to finish this off. The next part of this plan is risky, but I'll do it nonetheless.

"But this is a tennis club, isn't it? I came here to join. I was going to be satisfied with an ordinary tryout, but now I'm thinking, why don't we settle this with a game? Miura and me… against two of you. If you win, maybe you're worth something to this club after all. If we win, you apologize, and you leave her alone."

I waited for the reaction. Shouts of approval burst out all around us, and I knew I had already won. The conditions for the match, and my earlier speech, ensured that even if we lost, Miura would never be bullied here again. And if we won, she'd win respect. I had manufactured the situation into a win-win for us.

They were glaring at me, because they knew this.

The game was already over.

Did you think I was a hero?

I might be a protagonist, but I've been told before that my methods are closer to that of a villain.

And I'm fine with that.

The match played out as expected. I wouldn't have been stupid enough to challenge them if I didn't think we had a good chance of winning. It wasn't an easy victory, but well… let's put it this way.

It wasn't enough of a challenge for the Writer to waste time describing it.

The match ended with loud applause ringing out from all sides.

I heaved a sigh of relief.

It felt like a great surging energy had just left my body, leaving me feeling tired.

Now that the situation was resolved, my thoughts were along the lines of:

_I can't believe I just did that._

But as I looked at the circle of admirers who now stood around Miura, I knew one thing.

_I'm glad I did that._

I was still tired though. There was a lot left to learn about Miura, but I was too exhausted to do it right now. I did have her phone number, so we'd meet again. For the moment, all I wanted to do was go home and sleep.

_I think I'll skip work for today._

I walked away from the court. Little did I know that Miura was watching me as I left. If I had seen the expression on her face as she did, I might have jumped for joy. Or, knowing me, I might have gotten cold feet.

Either way, the fact remained: I had begun the journey of the Harem Protagonist.

**Extra scene: **

As I made my home from college, I was accosted on a street by four boys whose faces I had carefully noted back at the tennis courts.

They surrounded me, bad intentions clearly written on their faces.

Showing even a shred of weakness here would mean the end for me. These guys were strong physically, but their minds were weak. And that mean, I could finish them off right here.

So once again, I glared at them, holding nothing back. They didn't back away, but the change in their expressions was enough to give away what they were feeling.

"You know, there's two ways we could do this", I said. "You're probably thinking of the first way. The lot of you beat the shit out of me and you walk away. You think that's where it ends, but it's not. Trust me, the moment you touch me, a worse hell than you can imagine will be unleashed on you. Every last bit of your happiness will be turned to fucking ashes and you'll live the rest of your fucking lives looking over your shoulders, not knowing who's coming for you, or when. It's a shit way to live, if you ask me."

I paused, watching them swallow my words hard, before continuing.

"Or we could both walk away from this, and nobody has to get hurt. Stay away from Miura, and stay away from me. That's all I ask. Your girlfriends' reputations might have taken a hit today, but in time, they'll recover. There's no need for your lives or mine to get fucked up over this. So. What'll it be?"

I could see the gears turning in their head, but ultimately they decided to back away. I made sure to maintain a body language of confidence until they were out of sight.

_Okay. I take back what I said. This Protagonist stuff ain't easy._


	3. Chapter 3

**A Fire Rekindled**

Following the incident with the tennis club, life went on as usual for me. I went to College, attended class, worked my evening diner shift, came home and slept like a log. Nothing had really changed much.

That's what I'd like to say, but life has a way of making sure things don't go as expected.

"Mou, Hikio, you're spacing out again."

"Ah, sorry. It's a habit of mine."

"Geez, you should pay a little more attention."

Case in point, I was currently having lunch at the campus cafeteria with one Miura Yumiko. This had become a ritual of ours. After that first day, we ended up meeting each other regularly. In the mornings, we'd work out together. Since she was more experienced at that than me by far, she'd guide me through the routine, ramping up the difficulty everyday. It was absolute torture trying to keep up with her, but on the positive side, I was gradually adjusting to it, which meant I must be benefitting from it. Since we were in different departments, we'd meet up after classes for lunch before going home.

I looked at her as she sat across from me on the table, pouting and giving me a mock glare. _Yeah, this is completely unfair and far too cute. _

"Sorry", I said. It would be hopeless to resist the power of that look, so I gave in right away. I really should grow a spine one of these day… and who am I kidding. I didn't even want to resist that look.

"Come on, Miura, I said I'm sorry."

"Nope. You should've heard me the first time. I'm not saying it again."

I had a feeling this is where I was supposed to either continue trying to coax it out of her or groan and say something cliched, like "no fair", but honestly, I was too busy enjoying her sulking to actually give a damn. Miura wasn't exactly a tsundere. She was more of the "always gentle" type (what a change considering her former Fire Queen persona), which made it even more fun whenever she acted out like this.

As I sat there lost in thoughts about those former days, though, I couldn't help but remember that I still hadn't found out what exactly it was that had made her change so much.

_Was it something to do with her clique? _Third year at school had been a busy time for me, and I had been preoccupied wrestling with studies and my figuring out what I wanted in life, so I hadn't been able to pay attention and observe the class like I used to earlier. Well, that, and the fact is, by the time we got to third year, most of us had gotten more reserved and private about our issues. While we still got plenty of stupid requests in the Service Club from our juniors, we never saw anyone from our own class in the consultation room again.

_Well, sitting here thinking about it isn't going to do any good._ My method was to obtain whatever information I could, preferably without verbal communication, and logically analyse it to come to a conclusion. While I was reasonably good at this, I had learnt by now that it's not always an infallible method. Insufficient information means I have to make assumptions. And in making assumptions, I involve personal bias, and thus invite errors.

_I'm already sitting here with her, aren't I? Besides, she's attracted to the Trait. I can't just ignore her like she's none of my concern anymore. _

"Hey, Miura. What happened to you?"

I said the words out loud before I'd have a chance to rethink it, because I might not be able to gather up the courage again.

She immediately went rigid, sandwich halfway to her mouth, before looking up at me.

"What do you mean?"

There was an air of feigned ignorance about her, and an attempt at nonchalance, but it didn't fool me for a second. The change in her eyes clearly showed that she had understood my question just fine, even as she attempted to evade it.

_I've come this far. No point in half-assing it now._

"You can stop pretending, Miura. You should know by now that I notice everything."

"Everything, huh?"

She was looking down, her expression blank and clouded over, speaking in a tone of suppressed rage.

"How come you didn't notice anything when it really mattered then?"

I frowned, staring at her with narrowed eyes.

"What are you talking about?"

She raised her head, glaring at me, this time not with a cutesy expression.

"So now you're going to play dumb, are you, Hikio?"

For a moment, there was steel in her voice and gaze, like the Fire Queen she had once been.

But I couldn't back away here.

"I'm not playing dumb. I'm right then, aren't I? Something happened… something in our third year. What was it, Miura?"

"How dare you… how dare you ask me that…"

Her glare had gone from fiery to absolutely volcanic.

_Oh boy. The Fire Queen is alive and well inside her. _

"I'm just trying to help-"

"And who the hell asked for your help?" she snapped. "You know what, I tried being nice. Forget this. I'm out of here."

With that, she stood up, picked up her bag and made to leave.

Something possessed me in the next moment, and I reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"Wait!"

She turned around and pulled her hand away brusquely, with more force than I could counteract. Miura was a lot stronger than most girls, which made sense, given how much she trained.

"Stay away, creep."

_What?_

I could only watch with stunned eyes as she walked away without a backwards glance.

_What the hell? _

For some reason, I felt an irritated, angry burning inside me. It didn't make any logical sense, but it was there all the same, an unpleasant heat inside me that made me want to grab the table in front of me and throw it as hard as I could.

I wasn't even sure why I was feeling that pissed. It wasn't as if I had accepted any of this Harem Protagonist bullshit. Being forced into the role, I wanted to find out about Miura, who had appeared to be attracted to the Trait. If what just happened right now was any indication, however, nothing of the sort was going on. Her behaviour just now had been so much like what I remembered, I was wondering if all those "reactions" she'd had to me recently were just things I had imagined.

_Whatever. Fuck this shit. It's not my problem. Why the heck am I feeling angry anyway? Was I expecting something? I'm not that thirsty. _

Finishing my sandwich, I picked up my bag and made my way out. I had a job to get to.

Evening shift at the diner was a nightmare. Japanese cultural norms are pretty strict, but there are people who find ways to be assholes anyway. For some reason, it was like every one of those people had decided to dine here tonight. Thankfully, the time passed by quickly, since we were short-handed and I had to cover the missing people.

When the clock struck nine, I went to the back and took off the work apron.

"I'll be on my way then", I said to the manager, who merely grunted in acknowledgement.

As I closed the door behind me and exited the building, a voice spoke to me.

"Little late for your angsty phase, isn't it?"

I turned to see Extradimensional Guy, as I had dubbed him mentally, standing on the footpath, smoking a cigarette.

I was in no mood for any of this otherworldly nonsense at the moment, and decided to keep walking on my way, ignoring him.

"You probably don't want to do that", he said. "Trust me, you're going to want to hear what I have to say."

I stopped and glared at him.

"You've found some other way to screw up my life?" I snarled at him.

He merely looked at me with a bored expression, not remotely put off or affected by my hostility.

"Not exactly. But your life definitely has gotten a bit more screwed up", he said.

"_What?"_

He took a long drag from the Marlboro Light he was smoking before snuffing it out.

"Nice date with Miura this afternoon?" he asked.

"About as nice having teeth pulled", I answered.

He nodded.

"Yep. That's to be expected. There's been some unforeseen complications."

"_Oh, really?"_ I managed to say through gritted teeth.

"Yep. Your Protagonist Trait isn't functional."

It took a moment for that to sink in. Once it did, I frowned at him.

"Not functional? Didn't you guys activate it or something?"

"We did", he said, nodding. "But like I said, there's been some complications."

"What sort of complications?"

He sighed, rubbing the back of his head.

"Okay, there's not enough time to explain the mechanism behind this in detail, but here's how a Protagonist Trait works. Think of it as a software that's installed in your system, but a software that needs internet connectivity to work. As long as it is connected to the network, it will function as it should. But what do you think would happen if the server were to be down for one reason or another?"

"The program would fail to launch."

"Bingo. Currently, all servers are under repair after a pretty devastating crash. Which means… you're on your own."

I raised an eyebrow, as the implications of what he was saying started to sink in.

"Hold on… if your servers are down and my Trait is inactive, that means I don't have to worry about this Bad End stuff anymore, right? I can just quit this Protagonist crap."

"Pretty much", he said. "There's no reason for you to continue going after Miura anymore. Nor is there any extradimensional force linking her to you."

_No more Protagonist Trait… no more extradimensional bullshit… my life has been unscrewed!_

"Are you kidding me? That's great news. Why didn't you tell me earlier?" I said, with a rare wide smile on my face, which faded away as soon as I considered his analogy a bit more. "But hold on a second. You said servers are down. Now, on my world, when that happens, people try to fix them. Which means, you people must be doing the same thing. This MC business isn't over, is it?"

"Well, that's where it gets interesting. The Writer had designed this game to give you a Good End no matter what you did. That's just how your Trait worked. However, you are right now in a unique position, where some mechanics of the game are disabled, while the game itself is still running. This would normally require a hack of some sort. To be more precise, you're basically in a position to exploit a glitch."

"Exploit?"

"Yes. Players normally exploit a glitch to gain something they want, don't they? Infinite experience. Infinite gold. Infinite health. In case of a VN, there are people who unlock the CGs without actually playing through the game. In your case, none of these things are possible."

"So how is it an exploit then?"

" Because there is one thing you can gain, something you can only gain in this limited period of time, while your Trait is disabled. And that is… the Bad End."

His words swam through my head. _The Bad End… of course, he's referring to the end where I'm not with any of these girls who are supposed to be part of my harem. It's what I wanted in the first place, right? I mean, forget Traits and game mechanics and all that. Would I actually like any of these girls? Would they actually like me? I can't call it genuine if this is happening just because it's scripted. _

"Now listen closely. I'm risking my job and my existence to tell you this. If the Writer finds out I'm doing this, I'll be permanently erased. Because I know all the possible ways this story could have played out if this little problem hadn't occurred, I know that all you have to do to achieve the Bad End is one thing. Everything else follows automatically from that one action, a domino effect of sorts. There is only one thing you need to do: fail at the First Girl's Route. In this case, that would be Miura. You have three days to do this. After that, the server comes back online."

I carefully took in his words. All I needed to do to put an end to this crap for good was make sure things went nowhere with Miura. Of course, given how the day went, it was extremely unlikely she'd want anything to do with me. Right now, she seemed to have reverted to her Fire Queen side, which meant she basically viewed me as little better than an insect.

Wait… that means, I've basically already won, right? All I had to do was avoid her from now. I knew from experience that if you left a wound in any relationship to fester, it eventually became something that changed things between you. Lovers become estranged. Those who are estranged become indifferent. Those who are indifferent become strangers.

"Well, that's all the information I'm going to give you. Good luck with whatever it is you choose, Hikigaya."

So saying, the mysterious guy began to walk away.

"Hey. Why're you helping me anyway? Isn't this just a job to you? Why would you do something that goes against your boss' instructions?"

I couldn't help but ask him that. He had gone out of his way and risked everything to get this information to me. I didn't know if I'd ever get the chance to repay him, but I at least wanted to know why he did it.

He answered without turning around.

"Harem protagonists are a dime a dozen. These days, any mangaka who can draw a half decent pair of breasts starts writing one because people just love fanservice. They'll read anything for it. Character depth? Interaction? Growth? Relationship development? Who cares about that stuff? Just throw in a couple of panty shots and maybe one or two flashy fight scenes and people love your work. And those heroes are tailor made for that purpose. A bunch of wishy-washy fucks without any real defining characteristics. You… you're different. Maybe that's why, I wanted you to have an actual choice. To write your own story."

With that, he disappeared from sight, as if he was never there.

I arrived home and placed my bag on the ground before collapsing into bed. I was too tired to eat. But sleep didn't seem to be coming just yet.

_This is it, right? It's what I wanted. Right now, nobody's controlling me. I can put this all behind me and go on with my life. _

So why was it that I felt such unease?

I was still pissed off.

_The hell is wrong with that woman? I was just trying to help her out. Once a bitch, always a bitch, it seems. _

It wasn't as though I had feelings for Miura or anything. The practical, logical thing to do would be to let this go. That was all I'd need to do, and things would be back to normal in no time.

For some reason, that thought left a bitter taste in my mouth.

The next two days passed by in a blur. I was unable to focus properly on either studies or work. Lecturers don't really notice me much because of my lack of presence, but the manager at work does, since he has to pay me. There weren't any big mess-ups, but it was clear I was distracted.

Of course, the issue on my mind was Miura. As much as I'd tried to write her off in my head, I had been unable to do so. I wrestled with the thoughts of what to do. Common sense dictated that it would be best to do nothing at all, but that choice kept eating away at my conscience. It made me uncomfortable. There were things I didn't know, and not knowing, not being able to rest easy had always been an agonizing feeling for me. But this time, there was something else mixed in with that.

_Am I seriously thinking… I'd regret not making things right with Miura?_

The very idea was absurd. But that was the truth nonetheless.

Before I knew it, the third and final day had arrived. If I wasn't able to fix things now, I'd be losing my chance to do so forever.

It's interesting and terrifying how life can flip the tables on you. I, a self-proclaimed elite, who considers his tastes better than others because I read Berserk, Fate, Rurouni Kenshin and Jojo; a man who hated cliches and tired plot devices with every fibre of my being, was now wishing, praying that one of those very same cliches would take place today.

A rainstorm so intense, we'd be forced to take cover, and it would end up being in the same shed. Or some kind of fight or confrontation where I'd be forced to intervene. Or a chance encounter. Or anything really. Because there was no way I'd be able to gather up the courage to approach her myself.

Time seemed to have sped up, as though a certain Stand was using its Power. Before I knew it, classes had ended and I was outside the Literature Building. It was afternoon, around lunch time. I knew that Miura would be in the cafeteria. But I just wasn't able to get myself to walk towards that place.

_This is bad. This is fucking bad. _

I kept trying to psych myself up, and kept failing. By the time I realised what I was doing, I had been sitting on the same bench for about two hours.

_Crap! It's late! It's almost evening!_

I'd been so caught up in my thoughts that I hadn't noticed the passage of time at all. Not only was my chance to approach her during lunch gone, she must have been done with practice at the Tennis Club by now too. I checked my watch. If I was right, she must be on her way out from the courts now.

_It's do-or-frigging-die._

I realized that I was shaking slightly. There was a tingling sensation in my chest that made me feel as though I'd stutter if I were to try to speak, and my legs felt as though a gust of wind could knock me over.

_Pathetic. I'm reduced to a mess just at the thought of talking to her?_

I found it hard to believe that just a few days ago, I'd put on that show in front of the tennis club, and intimidated those seniors that had come for payback. Was that courage just the result of the Protagonist Trait? Without it, was I destined to always be this scared, weak beta who'd watch chances pass him by?

_No._

_Now this is wrong. _

I punched myself in the jaw, as hard as I could. It fucking hurt, but the pain knocked me out of my funk, out of the constant mess of thoughts and analysis I live in all the time inside my head.

I asked myself the questions that really mattered.

_Am I OK with letting things end like this?_

_No._

_What am I going to do then?_

_Go after Miura. Now. _

With that settled, I began to run. _There's not enough time for me to go all the way to the courts. I'll miss her. The only way is to wait for her at the gate. _

Keeping that in mind, I headed towards the campus exit closest to the courts.

I arrived there in less than five minutes, breathing hard, just in time to see Miura making her own way forward from the opposite direction. She was wearing a tracksuit, and had her kit bag slung over one shoulder.

_What the fuck am I supposed to say to her?_

_Anything, it doesn't matter. The key is to say something at all. _

I can't fake politeness or niceness, and I hate nice people anyway. I'm not a good guy, nor do I pretend to be one.

_I realize now that maybe, I can't really change who I am as a person. That's okay, then. I'll approach her as the real me, and take whatever results come._

As soon as I reached that conclusion, I gained a sense of control over myself. My heart was still pounding in my chest, but I felt strong, strong enough that I wouldn't be a mess, strong enough that I'd be able to say what I needed to.

I straightened up my posture, drawing my shoulders back and standing at my full height. No point slouching. I'm not trying to stay unnoticed right now. And I allowed my facial muscles to tense up, forcing them out of their constant deadpan, expressionless mask.

When she was around ten feet away, our eyes met. She glared at me coldly for a second, as though I were an insect, before ignoring me and turning away.

_Not this time. I'm going to get an actual answer out of you._

And so, I walked towards from right in front, making sure she looked at me.

We met halfway in between, neither of us moving back or giving way.

For once, I decided to speak first. I was the one who had decided to approach her, after all.

"Miura... we need to talk."

I made sure to maintain eye contact as I said that.

"I don't want to talk to a creep like you", she replied, without missing a beat.

But low-level insults like that weren't going to affect me.

"This creep pretty much saved you from being jerked around by your lovely seniors."

_And I triggered the return of your Fire Queen personality too. You're welcome for that, by the way._

She glared at me, teeth clenched.

"Fine then. Let's hear what you have to say."

"Not here, damn it. We're right in front of the damn gate. We need to go somewhere else."

She made an exaggerated gesture of covering up her chest and gave me a look of disgust.

"Creep."

_Keep calm. I'm just trying to find some answers here. _

Fighting to stop myself from grimacing, I spoke in a voice of forced calm.

"How about the cafeteria, then? It's still open, and it's a public place."

"Whatever. Let's just get this over with."

Soon, we were seated at the cafeteria, incidentally at the very same table where all this began.

"Well, we're here now. What did you want to talk about so badly?" she said, scowling.

"The same thing I wanted to talk about last time. What happened in our third year?"

"That's none of your business. If that's all you wanted to say, I'll be on my way."

She rose to leave.

"It is none of my business", I said calmly. "But I want to know anyway. And you owe me one."

Her eyes widened in shock when she realized what I had just done. Not once during my Service Club days had I actually called in any of the favours her clique owed me after all the weird requests they came with. It must have been a big surprise seeing me call in the one she owed me without any reservations.

"You… to think you'd sink so low…"

"I'm a creep, remember? There're no depths I wouldn't sink to."

She began to shake with anger.

"You dare… even though this is all your fault in the first place…"

And that was the bit that broke the camel's back.

I stood up as well.

"The fuck are you talking about? When did I ever have anything to do with you and your little group?"

"Everything! You had everything to do with it. You could have stopped it all from happening!"

"Stopped what from happening? Stop beating around the bush and get to the point!"

"_You could have stopped Hayato from going after that Yukinoshita bitch."_

Those words instantly stopped me cold.

"W-what… what did you say?"

"In our third year. Hayato told me his family and the Yukinoshita's went way back together. I didn't think much of it at the time, but looking back, it's obvious what he was trying to tell me. But… I wasn't able to see that. I wasn't seeing clearly at all."

She had my complete attention now. I remembered the time she must have been talking about. What was the Service Club doing then? That was after our triple date, so we'd already made our decision to not compromise. Of course, only Yuigahama and Yukinoshita actually followed that decision and acted on their desires. Yuigahama asked me out and got rejected. Yukinoshita… approached her family, who agreed she should study abroad.

What were things like in my class at the time? I hadn't been paying much attention, but if I recalled, things weren't greatly different from before for most of them. But… Miura and Hayama had definitely been getting along better than before.

But that meant… It wasn't hard to figure out what exactly had happened. She must have liked him a great deal if being turned down by Hayama had affected her this strongly.

"I asked Hayato out shortly after term began. It was a risk, but I was running out of time. If that one year was all I had, I didn't want to just see it go by. And… he said yes."

_Wait, what?_

_Hayama said yes? _

I stared at Miura with wide eyes. She continued to speak, looking down.

"I remember being so happy. It felt like the best day of my life. We dated till around the end of the year, which is when I found out the truth. He wasn't interested in me at all. All the time we'd spent… was just his way of trying to forget _someone else._"

The truth struck me with the force of a lightning bolt.

All the bits and pieces of information I had disregarded… the signs I had seen but not noted… he'd been dating Miura, but his attention continued to be on someone else… someone who was in the same Club as me… someone I desperately wanted to say something to, but was unable to.

I'd been so lost in my internal struggle, I hadn't noticed what was going on around me.

"He told me this on Graduation Day. Told me he'd just been using me, and that I should forget about him."

She looked up at me, and I saw a single teardrop roll down one cheek.

"You could have stopped all that, Hikio. Somewhere along the line, I realised that he didn't feel anything for me. I should have left him then. But I wasn't strong enough. Maybe I was waiting for my friends to say something. But they never did, of course. Half of them were too blind to see, and the other half didn't have what it took to say something if it meant being hated for that.

There was only one person in our year… no, only person in Sobu High at the time, who could have seen what was happening, and would have had the balls to tell me, even if I hated him for it.

That was you, Hikigaya. And you weren't there."

Bits and pieces of what Extradimensional Dude had said to me played in my head.

He'd said I would be capable of giving genuine happiness to more than one woman. In Miura's case, that wouldn't have been by dating her at the time. It would have been by preventing the fake relationship between her and Hayama.

Happiness. Genuine.

"_Well, what do you think happens to someone when they miss their one big shot at happiness?"_

Miura had done nothing wrong. She'd been honest about her feelings and asked out the person she liked. She hadn't missed her chance at happiness for lack of effort.

It's just that the guy she liked was an asshole of the highest order.

And… she'd missed her chance because of me.

If I had kept my eyes open and intervened, she wouldn't have had to go through what she did. An experience that had broken her so badly, she'd lost the confidence and pride that had made her who she was.

"Are you satisfied with that, Hikigaya?" I noticed she was using my proper name now. "Then goodbye."

_No. I can't let it end like this. I did this, didn't I? I have to take responsibility._

I reached out and grabbed her hand. Once again, she attempted to shake me off, but this time I held on.

"So you got used and dumped. Is that what you're telling me happened?"

Her eyes flashed with anger.

"The hell did you just say?"

"You got used and thrown aside like a piece of trash. It must have been hard, huh? Being betrayed like that by the one person you cared about. Hurt so bad, it turned you from Miura Yumiko into some girl who spends her days getting pushed around in locker rooms."

"You… you damned bastard!"

She dropped her bag and grabbed my collar with both hands, nearly dragging me onto the table. She was absolutely livid now, angry tears leaking from both eyes. I seemed to be moments away from suffering a beatdown.

But I made no attempt to resist, and continued to speak. There were things I needed to say.

"_What a loser way to react. Affected so badly just because you found out your feelings weren't mutual. You probably changed your life mantra and gave up on believing you had a right to be happy. Fucking pathetic. That's the sort of reaction some lame-ass middle school loner would have. A creep without a saving grace who'd be happy just to be spoken to." _

Images of myself from days gone by flashed in my head.

"Are your standards really that low, Miura? Is that all you have?"

"Quit talking, you son of a bitch!"

She raised one fist, about to hit me in the face, but I couldn't stop. Not here. Not now.

"_That's a crying shame, Miura. Because I've heard your story, and there's only one loser in it. And it isn't you." _

Her eyes went wide, and her fist stopped, hovering precariously, still tense.

"So some two-bit punk decided to go out with you because he didn't have the balls to accept that his little crush was one-sided. He decided to use you because he couldn't deal with his pain himself. Big fucking deal. Someone like that… doesn't deserve you in the first place. Because all he saw was an escape route. Not you. Not Miura Yumiko, the Fire Queen."

Her fist stopped shaking, losing tension, and lowering slightly.

"Two years is a long time to be stuck on one bad relationship. It's time you move on, Miura."

For good measure, I added in something Hiratsuka Sensei had said to me.

"_It's okay to want to be happy."_  
It was those last words that managed to finally break down her wall. Her eyes scrunched up, face twisting as she tried to stop more tears from leaking out.

A dam had broken through, allowing everything she had repressed all this time to finally come out. All the anger, bitterness, self-loathing, hatred, disappointment. She was finally able to express all that, and her true self, even beyond her Fire Queen side, was showing through.

Nobody is pretty when they cry. That was okay, though. In a world where pretty things are everywhere, seeing someone being open and real was beyond priceless. Her eyes were still locked onto mine, and now, I felt I could finally see her for who she was.

_And now, to finish this off._

I whispered the next part. We'd caused quite a scene, which meant several people in the cafeteria were starting to gather, looking at us.

"Don't lower that hand just yet. Punch me in the face. Try to aim for the jaw. Whatever you do, don't hit the eyes."

"What?" she said, surprise breaking through her tears.

"I just finished mouthing off to you for a good five minutes. You're going to just let me get away with that?"

"Hikio, it's all right, I understand what you were trying…"

There was an earnest light in her eyes now.

"No, you don't, really. Quit hesitating and do it."

"Hikio…"

"Fucking do it already, you bitch."

WHAM.

Her knuckles connected hard, with the side of my face, and I was sent tumbling backwards, flat on the ground. I was seeing stars, and there was a prickling electric sensation on my cheek. I wouldn't be surprised if it was swollen and bruised tomorrow.

I decided to stay down for a while. The scattered sounds of applause were coming from all around me. Of course, nobody overheard the full conversation. Judging by what they saw, I pretty much deserved to get knocked out. The attention at the moment was focused on Miura, which was good, because I wanted to remain lying down on the floor for a little longer.

As I did, I stared up at the ceiling, and heard a familiar voice in my head.

"_So you weren't able to change your methods then. You know, one day, when you actually want to help someone, you'll fail, because you won't know how to do it without hurting yourself." _

Hiratsuka Sensei.

With some difficulty, I sat up, and rolled my shoulders. My face still stung, but staying here wouldn't help with that. I picked up my bag and quietly left before anyone decided to check up on me.

On the way back, I called work and told the manager I'd been in an accident, and wouldn't be able to turn up tonight. The next day was off anyway, so I'd have a little time to recover. With that out of the way, I trudged home.

Halfway up to my apartment, I found a familiar figure seated on the steps. It was Extradimensional Dude.

"Yo."

I was tired, and my cheek stung like hell, not at all a good combination. But for some reason, I didn't feel angry seeing him here.

"Yo", I replied.

He lit a Marlboro Light and offered me one, but I declined. He smiled lightly, as if understanding.

"So that's the decision you came to, huh?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"You really aren't cut out to be a harem MC at all", he said.

"No kidding", I deadpanned.

"Honestly, it'd be a waste of your potential as a character. You'd be so much better as an anti hero in a gritty seinen series. You actually got her feeling better by provoking her, and then got her to knock you the fuck out to protect her reputation. Frigging madman."

He grinned at me, and I found myself offering a tired smile in return. I was so used to hearing people criticize my methods, it felt good hearing someone who actually respected them.

"You're an OK guy", I said to him. "Good luck with your work from now on, wherever you go."

"Eh? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, now that I've hit the Bad End, you'll be assigned somewhere else right?"

"Bad End, huh?" he gave me a knowing smile, as though I were missing something obvious. "Hahahaha, you know what, I'll let you think that, for now. Try and get some rest, okay? Protip: Get some sleep for now. That way you'll be awake later at night."

"The heck sort of tip is that?"

"Take it or leave it", he said, once again vanishing into thin air.

I entered my apartment and locked the door behind me.

_Well, that's the end of that. I guess I managed to help Miura a little bit. Makes me wonder, though, who else had it bad because I didn't do something I should have, back in high school?_

I lay down in bed.

Sleep came over me soon after that, and I drifted off.

I woke up around nine o'clock on the same night, and decided to go to the kitchen and fix myself something to eat. As predicted, my cheek was starting to swell up, and was painful.

Going with instant ramen, I whipped myself a bowl and carried it over to the couch, where I placed it on the centre table and sat down in front of the TV, switching it on. As I ate, I couldn't help but allow my thoughts to drift a little to what had happened earlier.

_So that's how the whole MC business ends, huh?_

I had pretty much deliberately wrecked everything between Miura and myself.

_Ah well. It was fun while it lasted._

With that, I went back to eating ramen, when someone rang the doorbell.

_At this time of night?_ Grunting, I made my way over to the door. In my still slightly drowsy state, I didn't think to check who it was, and opened it right away.

Standing outside in the hallway, looking right at me with shimmering eyes, was Miura Yumiko. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Choice**

Miura was standing right there, outside my apartment. She was still dressed in the same tracksuit from earlier in the day. Did that mean she hadn't gone home? Certainly, that seemed to be the case. Her hair still had the ruffled look of a hard practice session on the courts. Her appearance was far from being flawless as it normally was. She looked like she had been outside all this time. _What the hell was she doing? _She was staring right at me, those emerald eyes burning, but not with the same fire as usual. If anything, they were even more intense. Those weren't eyes that were blinded by some kind of supernatural Trait. They were eyes that were alive and seeing clearly.

"What do you want?" is what I would normally have said. But this wasn't a normal situation. Not once since I had moved out of my parents' place had a girl come over to my house. Komachi didn't count, and as a matter of fact, her visits were few and far in between as well. I wasn't expecting that to change any time soon. And the last person I'd expect to bring about that change was Miura Yumiko, especially after what had transpired earlier today. Towards the very end of the little scene I had created, she seemed to have understood what I was doing. But I had pushed her away, something I was good at. I thought it would have ended there. After all, in my experiences thus far, people tended to stay away from me. Look for any excuses they could find to do so. If I handed one out like I had done today, it only made their task easier.

I didn't expect anyone to come back after I pushed them away.

Yet, here she was.

"Miura?" I found myself saying. What a redundant question. Of course that's who it was.

"Hikio. Can I come in?" Her voice was quiet, in contrast to her presence, which was like being in front of a roaring flame.

It didn't occur to me that I could have turned down her request. She was clearly tired too, and something about her at the moment was so earnest, that I couldn't turn away from her.

"Sure."

I moved aside and let her enter before closing the door behind her.

She was looking around my apartment curiously. A bit too curiously. _You could be a bit more subtle about it_, I thought. Ah well.

"Have a seat", I said, gesturing towards to the sofas. I rarely had any visitors over, so I had only two of those. As she walked towards one of them, she noticed the unfinished bowl of ramen on the table.

"I interrupted dinner, didn't I?" she said. She sounded remarkably subdued.

I waved it away.

"It's all right. I wasn't that hungry", I said. I moved to clear the bowl from the table, but she stopped me.

"Hey! You shouldn't skip your meals like that. How on earth do you expect to maintain your health like that?"

_It's real funny hearing that from the woman who nearly rearranged my face._

Nonetheless, that, and the way she was glaring at me, managed to make me relent. But even if I continued, it would be exceedingly rude to sit here and eat while she watched. Not to mention awkward as hell.

"Well, if I must, I'll fix something up for you as well."

"EH?" Suddenly, she was getting flustered. She probably hadn't been expecting that. "No, you don't have to-"

"I insist. You are a guest after all."

"O-okay", she assented, looking down, cheeks slightly red. _Again with these mixed signals. Woman, you're either tsun or dere. You can't be both. You can't be an adult woman and a tsundere in my house. Go do that shit somewhere else.  
_  
Not daring to say any of that out loud, I decided to go into the kitchen, where I grabbed myself another pack of instant food.

"Miura, is ramen okay with you?"

"Ah? Yeah, it's fine", she said.

I proceeded to whip up a bowl quickly, and carried it steaming to the living room. I also reheated my own bowl before we began eating. In spite of myself, I couldn't help but watch as she took her first sip of the meal. It was only instant ramen, but I didn't want it to be a chore for her to eat it. Thankfully, she looked happy.

"This is actually not bad, Hikio."

"I do try."

"You don't eat this everyday, though, do you? It's not exactly a balanced diet…"

I shifted a little guiltily in my seat. Diet honestly was one of the most neglected parts of my life. It was mostly instant food and the occasional takeaway or meal at the college cafeteria.  
She seemed to gather that unspoken truth from my silence, however.

"That's no good. I thought you were planning to be a stay-at-home husband. I'd have thought you'd be a master in the kitchen."

Instantly after she said the words, she seemed to realize what she had said, and had a look on her face that can be summarized in the expression "oops".

"Where did you hear that?" I asked, curious now. I didn't exactly talk to a lot of people in school, especially the members of her clique. While the members of the Service Club knew, and Isshiki as well, since she basically spent most of her time after classes lazing around with us, I was surprised Miura had heard of that.

"EHH? A-ah… you know, word gets around, hehe…" she awkwardly tried to brush it off with all the grace of a drunk terminator.

"Scary", I said, shuddering. "A man can't even dream in peace these days without the world knowing about it."

"Ano, Hikio, you didn't exactly try to hide it. You stated 'stay-at-home-husband' as your preferred job in the second year career survey form."

Once again, Miura only seemed to realize what she had said after the words had left her mouth. This time, she was blushing profusely.

I raised an eyebrow. That was a bit of an odd reaction. The expected one is generally a look of disgust or a lecture about how I should be contributing to industry and society. _Heh, it's almost as if there was some sort of anime cliche where she came across my form and read it by accident, and she's all shy about it now._

_Heh. As if._

"That was a long time ago", I said. "Shit like that doesn't cut it in real life."

I continued to eat in silence for a while before I became aware that she had stopped, and was staring at me.

"What?"

"Nothing", she said, shaking her head and quickly returning to her meal.

Soon, we were done and I cleared away the bowls.

While I was doing that, I noticed that Miura was messing around with my refrigerator. Now, I was normally pretty passive about most things, but even I get a little concerned when people just start come in and rifling through the fridge.

"You looking for anything in particular?"

"I found it", she said. She had removed the ice tray from the freezer, and placed it on the kitchen slab.

"You got a clean towel or something?" she asked.

"What for?"

She gave me a look as if I was missing something obvious.

"To treat that shiner on your face, course."

_Ah._

On instinct, I reached up to touch it, and it was indeed quite painful.

"I bet you haven't done anything about it at all yet, have you?"

I shook my head.

"Typical. Well, don't just stand there, go get a towel!"

There are very people in the world who can pull off the act of going to somebody else' place and ordering them around. The Fire Queen is one of them. Figuring it would be better to acquiesce to her commands, I decided to go to the wardrobe and grab myself a clean cloth. Immediately I gave it to her, she wrapped some of the ice in it before tying off the ends to prevent it from falling out. Putting the tray back in the freezer, she walked over to the sofa with the improvised ice pack, before impatiently calling out.

"Well, what are you waiting for?"

"What?"

"Lie down here", she said, gesturing to that very same sofa she was sitting on.

I performed some quick observational analysis on the sofa in question, and came to a simple conclusion. With her seated there, there was currently not enough space for me to lie down on it, at least not in a comfortable way.

"Uh, Miura, there isn't really enough space there for something like that."

"W-what are you talking about? Quit wasting time and lie down already!"

I stared at her. She was refusing to meet my eyes, and her cheeks seemed red.

"Eh? What are _you_ talking about?"

"Mou, are you going to make me spell it out for you?" she asked in a grumbling tone.

"Spell what out?" I said, not understanding what she was getting at.

"You're supposed to keep your head elevated… so, lie down here". She muttered those last few words at a volume that was barely audible, while patting her lap.

I felt my own cheeks grow warm at that.

_Oh._

_OH._

Unable to really say anything in response to that, I only stared at Miura, who was now managing to meet my gaze, although she was blushing heavily. The sight of her flushed cheeks, framed by her golden hair, and those emerald eyes of hers giving me that shy yet determined look…

_Okay. Image file saved to memory._

I shook my head, trying to erase unnecessary thoughts from it. Let the reader never say that I'm a bullshit protagonist who reacts to these situations as if he doesn't have any interest in women.

The actual fact of the matter is, the thought of placing my head on Miura's lap was extremely enticing. But doing that will mean being in extremely close proximity to her. That sort of close proximity was already deadly to hardened loners like myself. And there was the real possibility of developing a raging boner, which, given the fact that I was wearing boxers, would be instantly evident. That wouldn't be good at all. Miura would flip out, and I'd probably get a shiner on my other cheek as well.

"Hikio?"

She was looking slightly timid now, some of the fire from a moment ago gone. It was almost as if she'd had to summon up a great deal of courage to make that statement, and now that she had, she was afraid I'd turn her down. Looking at her earnest expression, I knew that if I were to refuse, she'd be disappointed. She'd be hurt.

_She's been through enough of that already._

"Fine", I said.

Her face lit up at that, becoming radiant, but she quickly composed her expression.

"Well, hurry up then."

Swallowing hard, I approached and lay down before slowly lowering my head onto her lap.

One of the first sensations I felt was warmth.

I've always wondered why it isn't spoken of more often, but a woman's body is incredibly warm. I'm not sure if this higher temperature is an actual fact or just a male reaction to female presence, but it's definitely something I've experienced. It's a comforting warmth, and also one that's alluring. It drew me closer to Miura, and now that I was actually this close to her, I didn't feel nervous like a moment ago.

The next thing I noticed was her softness. Miura was lean and had plenty of muscle, but she was far from being hard. The result was that her thighs were both firm and supple. Above me, even with her tracksuit on, I was getting a view of the curve of her bosom. There was an expression of surprising tenderness on her face as she placed the ice pack on my bruise.

"Ouch!" I couldn't hold back a slight grimace. The sudden cold was like an electric shock.

"Sorry! Did I place it too fast?" she asked.

"No, it's okay", I assured her.

Nodding, she gently replaced the pack, and this time, I allowed myself to get accustomed to the sensation. Within moments, I grew numb to the freezing sensation, and felt a kind of relief from the pain of the bruise.

"Aaahhhh….." Involuntarily, I let out a groan of satisfaction, allowing my eyes to close.

"Does that feel better?" Miura asked.

"Yeah, it does."

For a while, we just stayed like that, silently.

"Hey, Hikio."

"What is it?"

"I'm sorry."

I opened my eyes and looked at her.

Her lips were trembling slightly, her eyes were shimmering.

"What for?"

"You tried to help, didn't you? And this is how I repayed you..."

"It's all right", I said.

"No, it's not!" she exclaimed with emotion. "It's not right! It's not right… that you have to suffer. You aren't at fault here…"

"The world very rarely cares about who's at fault and who isn't, Miura. I know that. I did what I did knowing that. So you don't have to feel bad."

"You… why are you always like that…"

She reached up with her free hand to wipe her eyes.

"You've always been like that, even in school. Always putting yourself out there for people who don't give a damn… Why, Hikio? Why do it?"

Her eyes were locked onto mine, and I couldn't escape those emerald depths. I couldn't even blink.

People underestimate how hard it is to lie convincingly. You might consider the old adage about the eyes giving it away made-up, but it's actually quite true. You involuntarily react. Because you know what you're saying isn't true. If you're good, you can mask most of this reaction. It's better from a distance.

But this close, looking right into each other's eyes, I couldn't have gotten away with it.

In fact, I don't think I _could_ have lied at all.

_When was the last time someone looked into these rotten eyes without flinching? Without disgust? _

"I don't know. I don't know why I do it. I guess it hurts when I see someone get the shit end of the stick. I know what it feels like after all. So, in my own way, if I can make it even a little better, without losing anything myself, why not do it?"

"But you do lose things. What about you, Hikio? Don't you want to be happy?"

"I am-"

The words stopped dead in my mouth.

Did I actually believe that? Did I truly believe I was happy? Did I believe that the life I was leading right now… was being led with a goal in mind? A purpose? Some kind of guiding light?

Unbidden, words began to come out that I hadn't planned to say.

"_Of course I want happiness. I'm not some kind of a saint. I don't save people. And I do want things. Things that aren't in my grasp. Probably never will be. Friendship. Love. People around me. Companionship. So I tried to achieve the one thing I could have. I wanted to understand. I wanted something genuine, where I wouldn't need to hide behind masks. Where others wouldn't need to hide behind them. It didn't matter if we didn't get along. I just wanted… to be honest. I'd already given up on being accepted. But I at least wanted to show myself." _

Once the words were out, I realized I was ranting. It was intensely embarrassing. I had just spouted these incredibly cheesy lines in front of someone who was basically a stranger.

There was also a slight moist stinging in my eyes, but I resolutely believe that was just because of ninjas cutting onions.

"Sorry", I said. "I said too much. Forget about it-"

"Hikio… why do you think you won't be accepted?"

To that, I had absolutely no answer.

Miura's mouth was slightly open, her eyes wide and glistening. Was it me, or were our faces much closer than before?

My mind and heart were working at a million miles per hour.

_Why would I not be accepted? Was it because of my looks? My interests? The reasons can't be that shallow._

_Really, when was the last time I even tried? Since middle school, I sort of gave up._

_I should take my own advice. Five years is a long time to get hung up on one rejection by someone who, in hindsight, I didn't even have deep feelings for. _

So I decided to ask her a question in turn.

"What about you, then, Miura? Would you accept me?"

Her eyes instantly became wider while her pupils dilated. Her cheeks flushed, and her grip on the ice pack tightened while her other hand came to rest on my chest.

It was sort of unfair to dump that sort of reversal on her at a time like this. She had just today come to terms with her own unfortunate experience with relationships. I knew from Yukinoshita that dependance issues can be troubling. Confusing Miura with things like this wasn't right.

I was about to say something, when she replied.

"I would."

The words were spoken in a quiet but clear tone of voice, with conviction behind them.

This time, it was my turn to be stunned.

"Oi, Miura. That's enough of that. You really shouldn't joke around like that. Although I did sort of ask for it with that lead up, but never mind-"

"I'm not joking."

She cut through my chatter, looking at me now with clarity and determination.

I swallowed hard.

"Do you even know what you're saying? How much work that involves? If you're doing this out of some misplaced sense of obligation, you can stop-"

"Huh?"

Suddenly, her tender expression turned violent.

"Who the hell do you take me for, eh? You think I'd just do something like this because I owe you? You have a little bit of a saviour complex, don't you?"

"I don't have a saviour complex. Nice girls tend to be nice to everyone. I don't want some sort of generalized kindness or charity…"

"Hikio…" she fixed me with a steely glare. "Do I look like a nice girl to you?"

Those words effectively destroyed whatever automated responses I had been spewing up till then.

"No…"

"You know, Hikio, it seems you've got a problem of projecting your own issues onto people. It's not that you're afraid of not being accepted by others. _You're the one afraid of accepting others._ But I'm not into that weak shit. So why don't I ask _you_ a question, Hikio: _would you accept me?"_

I felt my heart pounding in my chest, as if it was about to burst out.

_This is it._

None of what we had said so far had any definite connotations to it. They were all vague and generalized terms, applicable equally for any kind of relationship.

Yet, unspoken, we both knew what we were getting at. We knew what Miura's question meant, and what my answer would mean.

She had hit the nail right on the head.

I _was _afraid of accepting people.

Because I feared betrayal.

Being betrayed by my expectations. Finding out that someone meant more to me than I did to them. Because that's a crushing feeling.

What did Miura mean to me? What did I mean to her? I didn't know the answer to that. I was in a situation where the decision I took could not be based on logical analysis or available facts and information.

It would be a risk.

Once before, I'd had this chance, and let it slip by.

_No._

_Now this is a coward's way of thinking._

_Only an absolute loser would use Miura as a replacement for Yukinoshita. That's what that bastard Hayama did._

_Forget Yukinoshita. Forget the Service Club._

_If I do this, it has to be for Miura, and for me. _

I did not know what we were to each other.

But did I have the courage to find out?

When you live the better part of your thinking life being someone who analyses and overanalyses, and only comes to a decision based on logical thinking, one of the biggest challenges you face is a choice where logic cannot decide for you.

You are forced to use the most underdeveloped, atrophied part of yourself to choose: your heart.

A confused, tangled mess of thoughts tried to jumble up my brain.

_Would it really be so wrong to take a risk once in a while?_

_To do what I _want _to do?_

I raised myself off Miura and sat up. Our faces were level now, and I looked right at her.

"Fine. I'll accept you. What happens then?"

She broke into a wide smile, that, for all my cynicism, even I couldn't help but call beautiful. She instantly recovered herself though, faking a cough before resuming a serious expression.

"Well, we find out more about each other, of course. Isn't that what people do? This is just the start. Hikio, I don't know about you, but I'm not into vague words and indistinct promises. That shit is weak."

I chuckled out loud. She had just unknowingly taken a dig at how I'd handled the whole Service Club mess back in school.

She continued to speak.

"And don't think I'm easy, either. You want to get to know me, you'll have to put in the effort. And it's going to get rough. I won't take it easy on you. This is your last chance to back out."

Well, now that I had come this far, there was no point putting up a front. Her words sounded like a challenge… one that I wanted to accept.

"I'm not backing out, Fire _Princess_. What about you?"

Her eyes glinted, and the hint of a grin appeared on her face.

"I'm not backing out either."

And so, a conclusion was reached.

Looking back, _that_ was the definitive moment I sealed my fate as a Protagonist. Of course, my Trait was still inactive. Which means we had made it this far on our own.

I checked the watch, purely by chance.

"Miura… it's ten thirty pm."

Her eyes widened again.

"Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit. I gotta get back home. Dad is going to kill me…"

I grabbed her arm out of reflex.

"Oi, I really don't think it's a good idea for you to be travelling this late at night."

"Hikio, you don't underst-"

"I do understand though. I have a little sister at home. Just call and tell your Dad you're staying over at someone's place."

At this point, I was pretty much speaking automatically. I'm pretty sure if I allowed my thinking to catch up, I'd never do something this bold. At the moment, I was more concerned with Miura's safety than any issues of awkwardness.

She looked like she was thinking over my words, before she groaned out loud.

"All right. Hikio, you're so dead if my parents get mad at me."

I breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'll take full responsibility. Just call and tell them."

While she proceeded to do that, I finally realised what I had just done.

Miura would be spending the night.

As she finished the call, it was a logistical question that was going through my mind.

_Do I even have a second futon?_


	5. Chapter 5

**Intimacy**

"Hikio… say that again."

I swallowed the lump in my throat. Subtly, I prepared to dodge. I was in no condition to afford to take a second punch to the face. Steeling myself for the coming wrath, I said the fateful words.

"I don't have a second futon."

As expected, her eyes widened at that, before she lowered her head, causing them to become shrouded in shadow.

_Okay, that's not good._

I tried to calm her down. A genius like me could easily solve a simple problem like this, though.

"That's okay", I said. "The sofa's plenty comfortable, so I'll sleep here. You can take the bedroom."

There we go. A simple solution. The only thing I could have added here was an exaggerated smile and a thumbs-up, but that sort of gesture was beyond my ability to perform. So, without waiting for an answer, I began to move towards the couch.

"I don't mind sharing the bed."

I stopped. Cocking my head to one side, I checked to see if there was something in my ears. When I was sure there wasn't some kind of planted microphone in there, I turned to Miura, who had gone from eyes-shadowed-over mode to eyes-determined mode.

"Miura, I think I misheard you. Would you mind repeating that last bit?"

"I said, I don't mind sharing the bed." She looked away slightly this time, unable to maintain eye contact, as she shuffled her feet, holding her hands behind her back.

_What a powerful technique._

Of course, the perceptive reader knows that I'm _not _ a classically dense protagonist. I had actually heard Miura fine. What I was doing now was attempting to buy time. It wasn't something I was doing on a planned level. It was an instinctual action, as I struggled to come to grips with the very dangerous situation I found myself in.

Dangerous why?

Because if I were to agree with what Miura had just said, it would mean I wouldn't get a wink of sleep tonight.

It would be absolutely impossible. Miura was stunningly attractive on every level. Having her lying right next to me, with that body whose fine womanly curves and softness I was already well aware of, I simply would not be able to relax. I'd definitely have a boner. She'd be on my mind. I'd keep looking at her. Of course, not being a total scumbag, I wouldn't attempt to do anything.

Which meant, I'd have to spend the night awake, and on the edge.

Nope.

Not happening.

_But hold on a second. Isn't this actually… a classic harem manga situation? Come to think of it, this scene is pretty much a regular in most series. Hot girl crashes over at MC's place. They're placed in a position where there's only one bed, and so, they have to share it. If I tried to act dense or make excuses, I know exactly how this is going to go._

_There's only one way out of this situation: and that is, throwing subtlety to the winds._

This was going to be tough. But there was no other way.

I took a deep breath, and faced the beautiful tennis player in front of me.

"Miura. I simply cannot do that", I said, as bluntly and clearly as I could.

She looked crestfallen at that.

"Why not?!" she exclaimed, with more emotion than I expected.

I took another deep breath.

"Well, to put it simply, because you're an extraordinarily attractive woman. Being in that close a proximity to you would definitely get me aroused. I'd spend the rest of the night staring at you. Since I'm not an asshole, I won't try anything, but there's no way I'd be able to get any sleep."

I paused. It wasn't a particularly graphic description, but it would definitely get the point across. There's no way any protagonist would straight-up admit it like I just did. With this, she would see sense, and all would be well-

"Hikio… so that's how you look at me…"

She continued to look shyly to one side, while fidgeting slightly, occasionally shooting a glance at me.

_Effectiveness of technique has been doubled._

_Wait, hold on, why is she walking towards me?_

She indeed was approaching me.

"Typical. For that to be the only thing you think of", she said.

She was standing right in front of me now. With slightly flushed cheeks, hands clasped in front of her, she tentatively looked at me.

"It's okay… I'm interested in you too, you know. That's why I offered in the first place."

_Nandatto?_

"But it's still too soon for stuff like _that_!" she exclaimed.

She continued, though.

"I'm not that easy. And also… I don't want this… us, to be just a one-and-done thing."

_This girl, though._

Several times this night, she had already gone beyond any expectations I had. I stared at her in a new light. Why did I assume she'd be a one-dimensional caricature of a woman like a route in a light novel? She was perfectly capable of making her own choices, and she was interested in this… in me, as well.

"So, how about this, Hikio?"

She took another step closer, till her scent filled me up.

"You can touch me, as long as you don't do anything weird."

My eyes widened and my head reeled, heart beating like a hammer in my chest as I looked at her sincere face. Not only were the implications of what she was suggesting staggering, she trusted me. _Trusted_ me to understand what she was saying, without having to go into any more detail. _Trusted _that I'd respect her and not cross the line.  
Throat dry, I could barely get the needed words out. But I realised I wanted her too. She was giving me a chance to make good on our earlier promise here, to go forward and find out what exactly we were to each other.

And I wanted to do that. It went against everything years of being a loner had taught me, but I wanted to be closer to her. I wanted to hold her. I wanted to know her, and feel her in my arms.

"All right", I said, my voice a hoarse whisper.

Miura instantly brightened up at that, shooting me a slight smile that made my heart skip a beat.

"All right, you can come in", she said, and unlocked the door. Since Miura had come here directly after practice, she wasn't carrying anything comfortable to sleep in. With that in mind, I had told her to go through my clothes drawer and pick something she'd feel okay with. It would definitely be better than going to bed in a tracksuit.

Preparing myself, I opened the door. Behind it, she stood wearing one of my older t shirts, a faded grey one, and a pair of shorts. They were rather non-descript, since I had bought them as home-wear in the first place. Given how plain they were, they only served to highlight Miura herself.

The t shirt was too large for her, coming down to her upper thighs, just above where the shorts ended. It hung loosely on her body, exposing her collar bones and her smooth shoulders. For some reason, seeing her wearing my clothes was a turn-on.

"Hikio, you're staring!" she protested, turning away.

"S-sorry."

For a moment, the two of us just stood there, saying nothing. The bed, meant for one person, was in that very room. Suddenly, it seemed narrower. I'd be sharing that space with Miura.

We'd both agreed on this, but now that it had come to it, I was quite nervous, and looking at her, she seemed to be, as well.

"I'm turning off the lights, then", I said to her.

"H-huh? Oh, right. Okay…" she said, stuttering slightly, voice a little higher pitched than usual.

_All right. Here we go._

I flipped the switch, and the room was covered almost completely in darkness. There was a window open on one wall, and moonlight entered through it.

Miura still hadn't got into bed. I could make out her shape in the dim light.

I approached the bed. She wasn't moving, and that fact had several butterflies flitting around in my stomach. Was I supposed to get in first? Would that be rude? I decided to speak.

"Well, shall we then?"

The words sounded incredibly awkward in my head, but she responded.

"Y-yeah."

Shooting glances at each other, we both lay down on the bed. It was summer, so I wasn't using a blanket or anything. There was only the one pillow, so first order of business was deciding to how to make that work. If we lay on our backs, there's no way we'd fit on it.  
Sideways it was, then. Before I could even think about which way to face, Miura began to turn… in my direction. She was facing me now, looking flustered yet determined.

All my doubts left me, and I turned towards her as well, so our faces were now inches apart.

"Miura…"

"It's all right, Hikio…"

Slowly, I stretched out a hand towards her. As my figertips made contact with her skin, something like a spark of electricity jumped between us, giving me a prickling feeling. I continued, running my hand up her arm as she in turn reached out and put a hand on my chest. Emboldened by her touch, I drew her closer, and she slid across the mattress towards me, wrapping one leg over my thigh. This was completely different from the lap pillow I had experienced earlier. The firm, soft insides of her thighs were pressing against me, her warmth almost burning me up as she nuzzled closer to me. I managed to snake one arm under her, wrapping it around her to hold her close. It'd be numb in the morning, but at the moment, I didn't care. I was more than comfortable, and moved one thigh towards her, trying to feel even more of her. Given our positions, I ended up pushing in between her legs, and she moaned slightly. Immediately, I drew back a little.

"Sorry!" I said. "It wasn't on purpose."

She shook her head.

"No, this much is okay."

We continued like before, and I managed to get my other leg under her as well, so our bodies were right up against each other. Of course, a certain part of me was rock hard and poking and pressed up against her abdomen. She stiffened a little at the touch, but didn't draw away.

"So that's how Hikio's thing feels…" she murmured.

"Hey…"

"It's so hard…" She squirmed pleasurably against me, and I instinctively pushed the thigh pressing against her special place a little more, earning another slight moan.

I feel like I'm repeating myself, but I was _more_ than comfortable.

Having found a sweet spot that worked for us, we were both just lying there, occasionally stroking each other. It was a miracle that Miura Yumiko of all people wanted to do this with me, but I wasn't complaining one bit. As a matter of fact, I was silently thanking the gods for making this happen.

"Miura…"

"Oi. I'm feeling your dick against me right now, so the least you could do is call me by my first name, you know."

I tried again. Even in our position, the act of addressing her by her first name felt like I was doing something intimate. Must be social conditioning.

"Yumiko…"

"That's better."

"Yumiko", I began again. "You're a lot different from how I thought you were at first. I'm glad."

"I guess that makes two of us", she replied. Looking up at me, her eyes met mine. "Hikio, it sucks when you mean less to people than they do to you. And it sucks to see more and more people just silently drop out of your life. You aren't- you aren't going to become a stranger someday, are you?"

In her words at that moment, and in her vulnerable expression, I saw so many of my own fears reflected. I had made myself a tool because I'd thought that's all I'd ever be. And she had been treated like a tool by someone she'd cared about.

I tightened my grip around her, as if trying to shield her from whatever crap could be thrown her way… our way.

"I'm not going anywhere", I said. I chuckled slightly when I remembered about the Trait. "As a matter of fact, let me ask you a question. If, somehow, it turned out we were irreversibly connected now, how would you feel?"

From around my chest, I heard her inhale sharply, before she spoke in a quiet but strong voice, filled with certainty… and hope.

"If that were to happen, I would be happy."

"What if you wanted to leave someday?"

The words left me before I knew I was saying them. Maybe it was because of how open we were at the moment, but there wasn't a filter on me at the time.

She did not flinch or back away. If possible, she drew even closer to me.

"If that were to happen, I know that you're possibly the only person in the world I trust to genuinely care about someone enough to walk away from them, even if it hurts you."

Those words sent a needle of pain through my heart. She didn't know, but I wasn't speaking hypothetically at all. Before I could get lost in thought about it, however, she said something else.

"Fortunately, I know for a fact that that's _not _going to happen. I don't want to leave either, _Hachiman._ And I'm not going to."

Those words gave me strength.

_That's right. We came this far without the Trait, right?_

_At the very least, this isn't fake. _

I felt a sense of peace, and slowly, both of us drifted off to sleep.

**The next morning…**

As I slowly regained my senses, I became aware of something extremely soft pressing against my face. _Two _very soft somethings, to be precise, which felt extremely pleasant. Wherever I was, it smelt good too. I wasn't fully awake yet, so I buried my face further into whatever heaven it was currently in. While doing so, I gradually became more and more aware as the last of the sleep left me.

_Wait a second_.

The sound of almost inaudible moaning from above came to my ears. The voice seemed to be saying something too.  
"_Hachiman…"_

My eyes shot open and it hit me that I had my face in Miura's breasts. Her arms were comfortably around my head, pulling me in.

_Oh, hold on. Last night happened. _

Once the reality of that sank in, I relaxed and chose to enjoy my current location a little bit longer.

What, did the reader think I'd panic and flounder about trying to get away? Please.

Eventually, when I thought I really should be getting started with the day, I decided to gently extricate myself from Yumiko's grasp, waking her up in the process.

"Hachiman…" she said, using a hand to cover a slight yawn as she sat up. Her hair was ruffled with a slight case of bed head, and that, combined with her sleepy expression…

"God tier waifu", I muttered under my breath.

"Hmm? Whawasthat?"

"Nothing. I'll go get breakfast ready. Feel free to use the shower."

With that, we both proceeded with our morning rituals.

It was around midway through making bread and omelettes that I got a text which I decided to open.

_Good work last night. It's pretty obvious what your choice was, so we have some good news for you. Your Protagonist Trait should be back online around the time you receive this message. _

Right on cue, I felt that strange sensation of something about my being changing.

Well, so much for a quiet life. I sort of accepted this was going to happen when I decided to become closer to Miura. Finding something genuine would mean going through this, not running away from this. That was what I had decided.

I continued to read the rest of the message.

_Since you've already made good progress with the First Girl's Route, it's about time you explore some other parts of the game. You will be facing a lot of hostile characters along the way. While you certainly have good stats, we thought it worthwhile to point out that many of the opponents you face will be extremely dangerous, and suggest you level up and gain new skills and items in order to avoid a Bad End._

Wait, hold on. This was following a Visual Novel pattern, not an Action RPG! What's with the sudden genre change?

And how am I supposed to "level up" anyway? Is there some sort of stat upgrade screen? And if so, how do I access it?

Before I could reply to the sender with any of these questions, the message defied the programming of my smartphone, and self-deleted.

_Of course. Why am I not surprised?_

"Hachiman? I'm done here. You want to use the shower?"

"Uh, yeah… I'll be right there."

Well, for the moment, I couldn't dwell on it.

The rest of the morning passed normally, and since we were both going to college, we decided to go together. On campus, we each went our own ways, with a promise to meet up later on.

As I walked to my class, I was actually feeling pretty good. Despite the worrying content in the message I received earlier, there was also the thought that I was no longer facing life alone. Yumiko was with me. Maybe I could take care of being a protagonist after all. So thinking, I walked into the lecture hall where I had my next class.

"Hikigaya kun, you're late, aren't you? Take a seat."

Standing next to the lecturer's podium was a woman I had once dreaded,

Yukinoshita Haruno. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Resolve**__

  
Danger. Human beings have a variety of ways of dealing with it. Of course, the means finally used depends on a number of factors. Available time and resources are key among them. So are one's intentions and psychological state. So is the kind of danger. When faced with an entity that is an imminent threat, there are two responses to choose from. Fight, and flight.

When the danger is named Yukinoshita Haruno, of course, only one of those two options remain.

I stopped at the door. Haruno san was approximately ten feet away from me, standing next to the lecturer's podium. She was dressed in Western formal attire, a grey suit and trouser combo that made her look about as sharp as she was, which is about the level of our prized katanas. Her gaze was fixed on me. It was a gaze of interest, which did not bode well for me at all. Generally speaking, one does well to avoid the interest of tornados, dragons, and Harunos.

But it was OK. I hadn't actually entered far into the room, so escape was possible. In turn based RPGs, you can flee the battlefield if you are close to the edge of it, and far enough away from the enemy.

"I just remembered, I left my stove on."

So saying, I was about to turn and walk away briskly, but before I could do so, Haruno san spoke.

"It's okay. Miura san turned off the stove for you, so you don't need to rush back."

_Drat._

_Wait, hold on a minute._

I stared at her in alarm. Of course, that seemed to be the response she was looking to elicit. With an angelic smile on her face, she tilted her head slightly to the side. Was she attempting to imitate her younger sister, Senjougahara- I mean, Yukinoshita? Either way, the resultant gesture was about as comforting as a claymore with a pink paint job on it. __

_How does she know about Yumiko? Moreover, how does she know she stayed over last night?_

Of course, it was impossible to read the answers to those questions on her face. For now, further attempts to escape would be thwarted with equal ease, so all I could do was make my way over to the back of the hall to my regular seat. As I passed her by, she whispered to me.

"Stay back after the lecture is over. There are things we need to discuss."

I gave the barest hint of a nod in response.

As the bell rang and the last entrants have made it to their seats, the prof introduced our special guest to us, although I was fairly certain most people already knew her. Haruno was not involved directly in politics (at least not on a public level), but was still exceedingly popular in school and college circles in Chiba. Being the daughter of a diet member helped, but she was accomplished in many fields in her own right. It turned out she was here today to give a special presentation on literature in popular culture, and how it shapes society.

It was a topic that was right up my alley, something I would have loved to pay attention to, but the circumstances of our reunion had gotten my mind entirely focused on other things, and I sat figuratively chewing my nails as I waited for the class to end. Soon enough, the bell rang, and Haruno finished off her lecture with some well placed jokes which, of course, got the desired reaction. As the other students began to leave, I stayed in my seat, waiting for the classroom to empty out before approaching her. The professor exchanged a few words with her before he too turned and left the room, leaving only the two of us. I rose up, slung my bag over my shoulder and walked over to her. As I approached, she once again gave me that smile that could only mean trouble for me.

"All that talking has made my hungry. Normally, I'd invite you to the cafeteria here, but after the little stunt you pulled there yeserday, it's probably best if you avoided the place for a while. With that in mind, why don't we go somewhere else?"

Of course, knowing her, this wasn't an invitation that I had the option of turning down.

"Fine. Let's get this over with."

She made an exaggerated gesture indicating she had been hurt. "You wound me, Hikigaya kun."

I rolled my eyes, not falling for it one bit, and with that, the two of us set off.

It turned out Haruno had driven here herself. There was no chauffeur around, and she got into the driver's seat, gesturing that I should ride shotgun. Her car was a vehicle I recognised from a racing game I had played a few years back, a Ford GT. A dark violet shade, it was nearly black, but not quite. The ride wasn't a long one, and quite soon, we were at our destination, a rather expensive looking joint that I wouldn't have approached even if I wasn't just working as kitchen staff at a diner.

Of course, the food was excellent. Once again, it was regrettable that I was unable to truly enjoy the taste, given who I was dining with.

When we were done, Haruno finally saw fit to get down to business.

"So. The mythical powers of a harem protagonist. What's it like, having them?"

Immediately, I almost spit out the water I was drinking, but managed to keep hold of myself and gulp it down.

_How the hell?_

The look on my face must have said it all, for she laughed lightly, a musical sound.

"While that expression is certainly interesting, I suggest you don't show it so easily. While being dense and transparent works for some protagonists, thanks to their author's blatant biases, you don't quite have it so easy."

This didn't make any sense. The ones who had set me up in this whole mess were supposed to be beings from another dimension. There was no reason for anyone else from my world to be aware of what was going on… unless…

A horrific possibility occurred to me, and once again, my thoughts must have been evident, because Haruno leaned in slightly.

"You're starting to get it, but let me speed up the process a little bit. You aren't the only one in the world who's been contacted by beings from another dimension. And you aren't the only one playing this game."

"PVP…" I muttered. Of course. Of all the RPGs the author could have ripped off, he was choosing to base this story on Dark Souls, which has a multiplayer mode seamlessly embedded within its story. By that logic…

"I'm not the only protagonist, am I?"

"Ding ding! Correct answer. You're not the only human here who has extradimensional assistance. There are others as well. Others with unique Traits. Others, who've been aware of this game's mechanics for much longer than you."

_Fuck._ Essentially, I was a new player. That was what Haruno was saying. Others had been playing it since long before I joined in, meaning, they would have not only gained in-game experience and power, but also skill as players, and learnt how to exploit the system better.

Typical. From a Visual Novel format, where the only choices I faced would be moral ones, I now have to deal with trying to stay alive as well.

_Okay. This is doable. If this had been following regular-life rules, I'd have been screwed. But I've played plenty of games. I can do this. I just have to learn the mechanics and gain exp quickly. With that, I can take care of myself._

"Admirable resolve", said Haruno. "That determined look suits you much better. But for you to progress on the path you've chosen, there are certain things you have to know."

"Let's hear them, then."

I looked attentively at her. Haruno was dangerous even without RPG powers. With them, there was no telling what she could do. But she was giving me information here, information that I needed. In all my time knowing her, Haruno had never spoken any falsehoods to me. She had withheld knowledge, for sure, which had made my life difficult for me, but she hadn't actually lied to me. I did not think she was lying now either. Which meant, the best course of action for me was to learn everything I could from her, analyse it, and act accordingly.

Her lips curled upward another fraction of an inch.

"Firstly, while this game we're all in is similar to video games, there are certain differences. The processing power and technology required to manipulate reality outside of a digital simulation is vastly more powerful and advanced than anything we on this world know of. But even that technology only works by approximations."

"What do you mean?"

"This is not a binary world defined by 1s and 0s. In a computer game, things will never truly go off the rails. Every possibility, every path, is within the programming, and accounted for. Any bugs that occur will derail the game, and you'd need to close the program and start it again.

However, in _this _game, very much is _not_ accounted for. There are no NPCs; everyone you see around you is an actual living being, not a preprogrammed character. The data that controls their attributes can be manipulated, but only to an extent. That already creates a margin for error… and unpredictability. Even the ones running this 'program' don't know what might happen next. Everything they say is just an 'estimation', rather than a statement dealing with known and fixed quantities.

Long story short, bugs, glitches, unpredictable occurrences and anything else you can think of, can and will happen."

I quickly took in and processed what she was saying.

Essentially, if any computers were involved in this system, they were only being used in a support role. Without the rigid rules of the digital world, there was a room for biological factors and human error to come in. Which meant…

"It's basically our world, but enhanced with things that happen only in fiction and video games", I said.

"That will do as a working definition for now."

"RPG-like mechanics… that would mean that there's a way for me to check my stats and level up, as well as learn new skills. How do I do that?"

Haruno leaned slightly closer.

"You're looking at the one who can help you do that."

My eyes widened.

She wasn't implying what I think she was, was she?

"I am a participant in this game too, Hachiman. I have been for years, as a matter of fact. But I am not a heroine or villain. My role is as a Neutral. Specifically, I am tasked with enabling the other players to level up. Now, if you close your eyes and concentrate, you should be able to see a screen that shows your current stats."

I did as she asked, and indeed, a screen became visible in my mind.

_All right, let's see what we have here._

_Strength- 5  
Vitality- 6  
Endurance- 6  
Dexterity- 8  
Intelligence- 9  
Faith- 5  
Luck- 5_

"For reference, how much do these stats go up to?"

"Well, ordinary humans can possess a maximum of 10 in any category, but those who have access to the game mechanics can go to the actual hard cap, which is 100."

Everything seemed about right. If 10 was the highest a human could go under ordinary circumstances, my stats certainly checked out. I had never been very beefy, so my strength was average. My vitality and endurance were slightly better, since I was healthy. I had a high dexterity stat from all my time playing various games, both outdoors and indoors, alone. And of course, I was smart. It was no surprise that my intelligence stat was high. Of course, I knew that knowledge was essential to effectively applying that intelligence. And then, as a realist, it made sense that my faith was right down the middle. I believed only in that which I had reason to believe in. My luck wasn't exceptional, but it wasn't bad either. I'd had moments of fortune and misfortune.

_Well, I know what I'm working with. It's time to see what I can do with it._

"Given what I've learnt so far, it seems that by combining the right mix of these attributes, along with skills which I can probably learn from you (and which represent knowledge), I should be able to do pretty much anything I want to."

_Huh. Suddenly, it makes sense why Haruno seems to be good at everything. She probably has all her stats maxed out, and has access to all the skills. _

"That is correct", Haruno said, still smiling slightly.

_Okay. Think carefully. I need a build which can handle one-on-one confrontations as well as ambushes. Right now, I have high intelligence and dexterity. If I focus on maxing out those two attributes, would I end up with a spellsword build? _

I turned to Haruno.

"Excuse me for what seems like a stupid question, but is magic a thing?"

"Magic is definitely part of the game's available skills. There are all kinds. Are you interested in learning?"

I felt a shiver of excitement go up my spine.

Despite the danger I was in, the prospect of being able to perform magic was enough to get me giddy with excitement. This is always true. A man's heart always yearns for the exhilaration and amazement of magic, and as far as that goes, even the most hardened cynics among us remain children inside.

But before I could learn magic, there was something else I needed to confirm.

"Do I have any exp right now? If not, how do I earn more exp? I'm assuming I need it to level up and learn new skills?"

Haruno took a sip of water.

"Well, you earn exp through successful completion of flagged events. You've only become aware of the game recently, but I have a feeling the overseers are counting any previous accomplishments you've had as well. Open the stat screen again. The amount of available exp you currently have should be displayed at the bottom."

I closed my eyes and summoned up the screen again.

"How much can I level up with 5890988777 exp?"

"Hikigaya kun, did you just give me your phone number?"

"No, that's the available exp I have. Says so right here."

Haruno blinked a couple of times, then closed her eyes, appearing as if she was doing some quick calculations in her mind.

"With that much, you should be able to max out at least four categories, level up a fifth one to a high degree and still leave enough to learn a proper skillset. How on earth did you get that much exp anyway?"

Silently, I offered my thanks to a certain homeroom teacher. It seemed my labours in the Service Club had paid off after all.

"Ah, you know, here and there. Can I take a look at the available skills?"

I wanted to get a look at what skills I could learn and use with each stat combination before spending my exp.

"Sure. Close your eyes and I'll bring up the skill list."

I did as she asked, and this time, a different screen came up, listing various abilities.

_Sharingan._

I opened my eyes immediately.

"Umm… Yukinoshita san, are you sure this is the right screen? There seems to be a reference to a popular manga right off the bat."

"Oh, a lot of the skills are taken directly from other universes. The Writer thought it would be fun. Something about 'crossover elements' and 'wish fulfilment'."

_Is this guy for real?_

I closed my eyes again and continued to browse through the list. Of course, I resolutely avoided anything taken from Naruto or High School DxD out of… personal reasons.

There were plenty of real world skills available too, and some of these I shortlisted, since they'd be useful for me. Not all skills cost the same amount of exp. Some were more expensive than others, so I had to choose carefully rather than adding every useful skill I saw to the list of those I wanted. I also noticed there were several abilities useful for concealment and escape, which, combined with my existing 108 Hachiman skills, could ensure that I wouldn't have to fight at all…

As though aware I was thinking this, Haruno chose that precise moment to speak.

"I suppose you're wondering what reason you have to even fight. The truth is, everyone you're up against also desires a harem. Since the confrontation is taking place here, that means the women who are at stake here are all people you know. You don't actually have a reason to be fighting for them… but ask yourself: would you really be okay with someone you don't know, someone whose intentions could be anything, using a Protagonist Trait to have their way with them?"

I said nothing, but inside, I was seething.

It was something I'd been aware of from the start, but this whole harem business was bullshit to begin with. Some sort of Protagonist Trait that makes women invariably fall for someone… could be used with any number of bad intentions in mind.

Where was free will and consent?

_I'm not a complete asshole, but I'm not naive enough to expect the same decency from everyone else._

The dude from the other dimension had said that a harem MC was capable of giving "genuine happiness" to more than one woman. But just because someone was capable of something doesn't mean they'd do it.

And besides, there was nothing in any of this that seemed even the slightest bit genuine.

I'd ended up forming a bond with Yumiko, but that was only because my own Trait had been temporarily disabled. Could we still have had something real if she was fawning all over me due to some kind of hax ability or plot induced effect?

The answer was obvious.

I'd found my reason to fight.

It was not to form a harem.

Rather, I was fighting to _prevent_ anything of the sort from happening.

_And if it's their free will I'm fighting for… I need a build that's beyond OP. A build capable of crushing the densest MC to dust. _

As I continued to browse the ability list, I found what I was looking for.

Who said everything on the list was from Japanese media?

"Yukinoshita san, I've made my decision, and am ready to level up."

I opened my eyes and looked at her.

She was looking at me with a glint in her gaze, curious.

"What'll it be?"

"Raise strength, intelligence, vitality and endurance to the max, and dexterity to 50."

She raised an eyebrow.

"What about the magic build?"

I shook my head.

"That's not what I've decided on."

"_Omoshiroi… very well then. Let your stats be raised as requested."_

She placed a hand on my head, and instantly, I felt my very being thrum and reverberate with energy as I was altered, and power beyond anything I had imagined possible flowed through my body and mind.

When it was done, I experimentally flexed my hand.

"Be careful", Haruno warned. "Level 100 strength is large mountain class. You might break the building if you knock the wall by accident."

"All part of the plan", I said.

There was a very specific character I was modelling myself after.

Along with manga and anime, I was also, as a matter of fact, a fan of American comics. Long ago, I had seen an animated adaptation of one of their series, featuring a team of quite OP superheroes.

Of course, they'd appeared bland and boring as hell to me, especially the big blue boyscout who was their poster boy.

Imagine my joy when I discovered there was a villain who could actually stand toe-to-toe with him without resorting to kryptonite.

"I'd like the following skills: mastery over hand-to-hand combat, mastery over alien technology… and the Omega Effect."

The blood drained from Haruno's face. It was the first time I had ever seen her lose her considerable and constant calm.

To her credit, her voice was remarkably stable as she spoke.

"Hikigaya kun… are you sure you want _that_ skill? It's unheard of for a Protagonist to possess something like that… it's never happened in any of the previous iterations of this game."

"Yep. Give it to me."

"I- don't think you fully understand what that power entails. The things its original owner did with them…" she shuddered slightly.

"I read DC comics, and so do you. Harem protags are a dime-a-dozen, each one of them an insect, spreading like a plague and twice as annoying. They're a bunch of discount Superman clones… and I'm the Darkseid that's going to put them down."


	7. Chapter 7

**The Pain Only the Strong Feel- 1:**

_Haruno's POV: _

Choice.

It's a strange thing, one whose nature is almost perfectly contradictory. To the individual without the ability to make their own decisions, it is everything. The holy grail they seek. Choice, to such a person, represents power. Represents control over one's own destiny. Represents freedom.

It is strange, for the task that faces an individual once they have been given that chance, is to choose. The very act of doing so removes all the options that were not chosen, thereby once more placing the person in a position where they have no choice but to follow through with the path they are on.

Surely one sees the paradox here. Is the only thing we gain from freedom… the ability to throw it away ourselves?

It is hard to answer that question on objective level. Personal feelings must inevitably come into play, and subjectivity must sway our ability to analyse the issue.

Thus, the only answer I can give, is the one I sought for.

I have longed for freedom since I was intelligent enough to know what it was. Longed for it since I was a child. Back then, I would not have been able to paint such a pretty picture of my plight with words. But even so, somewhere deep down, I knew.

Yukinoshita Haruno was never free.

For as long as I can remember, people around me had claimed I was gifted. Special. I never really understood what was so "special" about me. There were certain things I could do naturally. The first time I ran, I outran all the other children around me. When I was asked what two and two made, I knew it was four. When I read a book, I had no trouble retaining what I learnt from it. As I devoted time to these, and many other activities, I got better at them. Before long, I knew that there was only so much one could do unless one put in the effort to improve. But that too, was something I did.

My parents, initially disappointed that I was not a boy, soon changed their minds about me. Curiously, my earliest years were not spent with them at all. It was not until I was seven years old that I first became aware of my "mother" and "father". Till that time, I was raised by an old woman who I now realise must have been a maid at my family's estate.

I never saw her again after my seventh birthday.

She was not the only person I would lose sight of, once my parents began to take more notice of me.

The number of things I was expected to do slowly rose, as did the level at which I was expected to do those things at. While I did attend regular school, every moment of my time outside of it was also spent in lessons, and great care was taken to ensure that I remained several grades ahead of my classmates in terms of knowledge. The constant pressure that was put on me eventually exhausted my patience, and I snapped out, running into our estate's garden one evening to avoid my lessons.

I already knew our grounds well, but somehow, being there at that moment, it was as if I was seeing them for the first time. Each tree, each blade of grass, each bird, was more vibrant and beautiful than I remembered. This was the precise moment when I realised that language was not a tool to describe meaning.

It was a tool to _dilute _it.

_Freedom(noun)- The power to speak, act and think as one wants._

That was the dictionary definition, something I knew quite well.

But it was only being out there in the garden at the moment, where I was not supposed to be, that I understood what the actual thing was, what words tried, and failed, to describe about it.

I was found within minutes, of course, and taken back inside, to face my mother. I remember the elation I felt and carried inside my chest. I wanted to share it with her. Tell her what I had just experienced.

I never got the chance. As soon as I was brought in front of her, the first thing I received was the stinging pain of the back of her hand against my face. That might have been the first, and only time, I was genuinely hurt by anything that woman did to me. I never knew her well before that. When I was told she was my mother, there were certain things that I thought would exist between us. In that moment, she proved me sorely mistaken. With a face that might have been carved from ice, and eyes that were even colder, she said I was to never shirk the duties given to me by the family again.

A lot of people believe that strength is something one is born with. I do not think this is entirely true. It is not just what we are born with that matters. It is what we make of it. Strength has to be _learned_. Physical strength through exercise and nutrition, mental strength through weathering trials.

As a child of seven, I did not possess enough of the latter to rebel against the visage my mother had shown me. So I quietly allowed myself to be led away, and resigned myself to be a mere puppet, doing what the ones holding the strings desired. A machine, meant to perform the tasks she was ordered to.

Of course, I was not the only child in that household. There was another.

When I was yet younger, we had spent some time together, and during that time, I had grown fond of her. She followed me around with eyes full of wonder and admiration, and that innocence endeared her to me. The servants told me she was Yukinoshita Yukino, my little sister.

As time went by, we saw less of each other. Every day, I was asked to devote yet more of my waking moments to the tasks my parents set for me. I will not pretend I was aware at that time what either of them expected from me or my sister. But I did know that the expectations placed on the both of us were not the same.

To be sure, looking back, I can see that she was hard working and diligent in her own right, but there was a difference between us.

She had the option _not_ to be.

I did not.

And so it was, that a divide was formed between us. Two people living in the same house, in different worlds.

I wonder, is this when I began to resent her?

The years passed by, and we both grew. When we were around ten, the house had visitors. Mother introduced us to the couple that had come with their son. The Hayama's, as they were named, owned a law firm. The son, Hayato, was the same age as Yukino, that is to say, three years or so younger than myself. I remember him greeting us politely. There was some of the same light in his eyes that I saw in my little sister's. It gave me mixed feelings. On the one hand, he was open and innocent, with the sort of confidence that can only come from not having had one's trust betrayed. Like Yukino, I wanted to protect that part of him. Maybe that was just my instinct, being, by however small a margin, the oldest and wisest of the three of us. On the other, I envied him, because my own eyes hadn't had that light in them for a long time.

The visits of the Hayama family grew more frequent, and quite often, I found myself alone at home, looking after the two of them, with my parents out on business. There was a stint of time they spent abroad in the States, but I was chosen to stay in Japan, and focus on my studies and other tasks.

After their return, things got more interesting.

As a matter of fact, the story of Hayama Hayato and Yukino Yukinoshita's time in elementary school has been well documented elsewhere. Suffice it to say, the two of them were quite close. During this period of time, I had come to accept openly to myself that I resented my sister. One of the few outlets I had for my frustration was making that closeness the subject of my frequent and increasingly sharp jokes. That, and messing with her whenever we went to amusement parks. Those actions were childish at best, cruel at worst, but to me, it was just so much powerless thrashing about, like a spider that has been turned over on its back. Somewhere inside, I was even hoping it would drive the two of them even closer together. It would be a much needed step forward out of my shadow for Yukino. Her persistent admiration of me pained me more than the differences in our position ever would, and a part of me wished she'd be able to strike me down convincingly, with help from her prince charming, before they moved on, together, leaving me to my fate.

It's funny how reality can punish even the greatest masochists in ways they haven't thought of yet.

My actions only succeeded in driving a wedge between Yukino and Hayato. Perhaps I should have expected it. He was just a child, not used to any sort of pressure on him. Unlike me, he had known freedom from the start, had revelled in it, and been admired for it. He would not want to lose that freedom or admiration, even for a friend. Especially when the friend's feelings ran deeper than his own. Yukino's plight was made worse by the fact that she was different from most children. Her exceptional looks, and skills in academics as well as extracurricular activities made her an easy target for envy.

I had been expecting that.

Had been counting on her being able to face them, and win, as long as she had Hayato with her.

Too bad he chose them over her.

Maybe I'm making the betrayal sound worse than it is. After all, expecting a mere child to embrace social exclusion just for "one" friend was asking a level of maturity and strength that many adults don't possess.

I hated him all the same. The light in his eyes changed after that day, because I think he knew. Knew that he'd chosen to abandon someone who believed in him. The light that had once bespoken freedom was now tarnished by shame, however small and minuscule it might have been in his mind. To me, he'd forever be a coward.

Yukino… I hoped that she would gain some strength. One gains strength through facing trials. Against all logic, I hoped she would be able to succeed where I had failed, and find enough strength to stand tall and continue being who she was.

How wrong I was. Not only did she attempt to follow in my footsteps, it was a poor imitation that she was finally able to manage. Feigning pride and using excellence as a mask to hide the insecurity and fear within. Unlike me, however, she hadn't been able to shed her humanity.

Demons may thrive in sin, and angels in virtue. It is only humans who suffer in both.

And so, the three of us moved on. On my part, I tried to put the episode behind me as well as I could. My responsibilities continued to grow, and I decided the best I could do was support Yukino from the shadows while continuing to be the antagonist in her life. The day she successfully fought back and defeated me, I could finally put an end to this long-running farce.

High school came and went, and I began college. In the meantime, a severely, perhaps permanently damaged Yukino arrived at the place I had made my playground, Soubu High. Now that I was legally an adult, and far smarter, stronger and better versed in the ways of the world than my younger self, I had found ways to obtain time for myself to have fun. Part of this was because college is a far less supervised environment than school, allowing me to frequently visit Soubu and keep track of what was happening there. Of course, all of this was to keep an eye on my little sister.

It was on one of these visits that I ran into a being who changed my life forever, by dragging me into some kind of insane multidimensional game that broke any and all rules of the world I knew.

This being called himself the Writer. Certainly, he looked nothing like the stereotypical image of that word. Around the same height as me, he had a compact but strong build, and dressed in cargoes and a black t shirt that had a logo of the thrash metal band Megadeth on it. His short hair was untidy, and his mannerisms were a curious mix of confidence and awkwardness. He looked young, about the same age as myself.

The Writer offered me a deal. He said that I had within me something called a Trait, that was still dormant. By awakening it, I could discover great power. That didn't interest me. I already had power. He then pointed out it could bring me freedom.

Freedom. Something I had dreamt of for years now, and not gotten any closer to. And now, a being who, on the surface, looked like a gaijin metalhead, was offering it to me. I had to be crazy to accept. But then again, I already knew that a search for freedom was a crazy task to begin with.

So I accepted. And he awakened my Trait. Before he did so, he explained to me the various kinds of Traits that existed.

In the game that was to be played, the conflict would take place between individuals who possessed either a Protagonist or Antagonist Trait. There were different kinds of these Traits as well. Some were Heroic, others Villainous.

It all seemed like something ripped straight out of a Chuuni's handbook. But if I was going along with something this impossible, I at least hoped I possessed a Protagonist Trait. I wanted to be my own hero, since I was the only person I could count on to do the job right.

Once again, fate decided to laugh at me.

The Trait I possessed was Supporting Character, specifically, the Anti Hero Trait. It was defined by exceptional skill, which would be crucial to the success of the Protagonists. The other characteristic was an ultimately tragic ending.

I remember the plethora of emotions I had felt at that moment. Anger. Frustration. Betrayal. But I had been feeling those things for so long, the only thing that managed to break through to the surface was _amusement._ I was laughing; laughing hysterically.

The one who had been told since birth she was special would ultimately die as fodder, in a supporting role, of all things. I laughed at myself, at the world, at the very concept of hope, of _freedom._

What a myth. Something like that couldn't possibly exist.

Wiping the tears from my eyes, and trying to stifle laughter, I asked him if there were any other people I knew who possessed Traits.

To my surprise, he answered in the affirmative.

Two other people I was quite familiar with possessed Traits. Both of them possessed variants of the Protagonist Trait.

Hayama Hayato, who possessed the Harem MC Trait, defined by rapid growth fuelled by determination and support from friends, as well as the ability to charm anyone with a suitable sexual orientation.

And Yukinoshita Yukino, who possessed the Female Lead Trait, defined by the ability to undergo enormous growth as long as there was faith in oneself, as well as the ability to draw the attention of any Protagonists oriented towards women. Out of all the girls in the game, the one who possessed this Trait stood the greatest chance of coming out it the winner.

It all seemed like one big, universal joke played on me.

No, a multiversal joke.

In normal life, she had been given the freedom that I had craved. Handed it on a silver platter. All the power, none of the responsibility. No expectations. No burdens. Nothing. Just a beautiful, glorious blank page that she could fill with anything she wanted.

She had been given _choice_.

And she'd squandered it away, was squandering it away even now, held back by doubts and weakness, by her inability to take a step forward if someone wasn't holding her hand. Always looking for someone to cling to, someone to give their approval.

And now, in this massive game that transcended all logic, she'd been given a card that all but guaranteed her victory. She'd been handed on a silver platter, once more, the one thing I had desired.

I could almost taste the ashes in my mouth.

The sheer unfairness of it all stung, stung on a physical level.

My resentment must have been strong enough that even the Writer sensed it from where he was standing, and at least had the grace to look ashamed. Yet, he gave me no comforting words. Not that they would have made a difference anyway.

"You have been assigned the role of a Neutral for this game. That means knowledge of how the game mechanics work will be transferred directly to your brain via telepathy. Your primary task will be to help Protagonists and Antagonists level up. Additionally, you must ensure that the human populace here remains unaware of the game's existence. This will mean setting up dimensional barriers at the right times, and failing that, either restoring damaged environments or erasing memories, as needed."

I nodded listlessly. I had agreed to this deal after all. I couldn't back out now.

It didn't take me long to get used to my new powers. I had accumulated a good deal of exp over the course of my life, and used it to level up to a build that I considered ideal and to my liking.

Soon enough, various individuals who were not part of my social circle began approaching me. These were all Protagonists and Antagonists. Several of them I recognized as being famous from various popular media. As the Neutral, I knew that people from other worlds would be participating in the game, so I wasn't surprised. I diligently performed my task and helped them level up.

Of course, Hayato came as well. I continued to observe happenings at Soubu High, and watched as he used his Trait to keep his "friends" around him. It was fitting that even now, he was trying to desperately deal with his fears of being alone and isolated by keeping everyone happy.

He fit in so well as a harem MC, it made we want to puke.

The day I got my first real shock on the job was when Yukino came to level up.

I remember taunting her.

"Need a little help from the game mechanics to deal with life, huh?"

As usual, she did her best to ignore me, but the look on her face told a different story. My words had struck a nerve, but it was a different nerve than the one I had been going for. This became obvious when she told me which skills she was choosing.

Charm Resistance and Trope Subversion.

The former allows a character to resist charm effects… such as those of the Harem MC Trait, while the latter allowed a person to perform actions normally outside the scope of their own Trait.

For her to have chosen those two skills, her reasons became obvious.

She was trying to set up a countermeasure to falling for a Protagonist. It didn't take a genius to know which Protagonist she was trying to stay away from. This wasn't a coy, hard-to-get act either. I knew quite well that she despised Hayato now.

Conversely speaking, Hayato had chosen the skill Redemption, which allowed a person the chance to right one wrong from their past.

The situation was getting increasingly interesting, and I watched with detached amusement as they all went about preparing themselves for battle.

Of course, it would be a lie to say I was truly interested in anything that was happening. At least yet.

All that changed one day when I ran into my sister at a shopping mall, purely by chance.

It wasn't meeting Yukino that changed anything. Rather, it was the person who was with her.

In recent times, I had met a lot of people who I had only read about or watched on screens before. Exceptional people, or so the overseers said. Those who possessed Traits.

The boy before me now possessed no Trait, not even a superficial one, that would mark him out as a hero. If anything, on first glance, he looked a villain, and an exceptionally average one at that. I found myself wondering what he was doing with Yukino in the first place.

Then our eyes met.

No, that is incorrect.

He wasn't looking at me.

He was looking _through_ me.

_Into_ me.

Those eyes were unlike anything I had ever seen, and I had seen people with actual supernatural abilities that were focused there.

There was no light in them. None at all. There are two kinds of people whose eyes look like that. The first is those who have been through a tragic event in the recent past, and are still dealing with it. They are perfectly capable of being happy once more.

The second category is far rarer. Their eyes do not shine anymore, because the last of the light in them has been brutally stamped out. Eyes devoid of hope, eyes that do not believe in youth, happiness or salvation. Eyes that have stared into the dark one too many times, until the dark stared back.

I could see why people would be averse to one such as him, shun him. As far as looks went, those eyes appeared dead. To most people, they would be creepy at best, downright terrifying at worst.

I found them… profoundly beautiful. I also knew that hope and salvation were lies, so this was my first time meeting a kindred soul. It was fitting that he saw right through my carefully crafted facade, meant to appeal to people's desires and hopes.

Let the reader not misunderstand.

He was a morbidly fascinating sight, in much the same way as a horror film is. I was watching with interest, but that was all. It was curious, and a unique experience, to meet someone who was able to see past the skin. His personality was rough and his words sounded clumsy, which only proved how good his own facade was, since I could tell that every apparently awkward statement that came out of his mouth was carefully thought out and planned to push the conversation towards his desired outcome in the most unnoticeable way possible. The way he did this was unique. Rather than try to force a certain direction, he made _you_ believe you were in control, and subtly manipulated you into steering where he wanted.

It would have worked too, but I was older, and thus, had more experience in these matters, so I still ended up going a bit further into his personal zone than he had intended. This was done out of a desire to amuse myself, and of course, to this end, I couldn't help but tease my sister about him, though I knew quite well there was nothing between them.

At least, that was what I had thought.

I was curious enough that I followed up on him, and found out that as a matter of fact, I had heard of him before. Around a year ago, Yukino's sedan had been in an accident, which had led to the boy being hospitalized. His injuries weren't too serious, however, and he recovered and returned to school after a while. It turned out he had been trying to save a dog from getting run over.

Our dead-eyed mystery boy might not have had any hope, but he still had a heart.

That fascinated me, primarily because it occurred to me that anyone who had a heart, but no hope, must live a tortured life indeed.

Of course then, it made sense that he had caught the eyes of another kind-hearted, tortured soul, Hiratsuka Shizuka.

My former Japanese teacher was one of the few people I actually liked and respected, and strangely, it wasn't just because, prior to my Trait being awakened, she was a superior martial artist who could actually have taken me down (one of the few such people in Chiba).  
She was also a remarkably warm and genuine person, which explained why she too had gotten the short end of the stick when it came to many things.

We were still in touch, and I decided to ask her about the boy, who I had found out was named Hikigaya Hachiman.

A hardened loner with no friends or girlfriend, and no interest in having one. A pessimist claiming to be a realist. Rock bottom grades in math and science matched only by his excellence in the humanities. Aspiring artist with a fondness for realistically rendered bears. And above all, an astute judge of character and motivations with superb observation skills. According to Shizuka sensei, it was a shame his critical thinking and writing abilities were being wasted on "pointless rants against the nature of society, which isn't going to change soon".

Needless to say, I found my interest growing.

One of my hypotheses had just been proven wrong.

He was _not_ devoid of hope.

If he was writing essays criticizing, or even pointing out the flaws in society, it meant, that one some level, he wanted things to change.

I continued to follow his progress in the Service Club, and learnt about his so-called bet with Yukino. Of course, being an outside observer, I could see that Hikigaya wasn't quite able to gain absolute victory, since he still needed Yukino and Gahama san's help to complete many of the requests. Yet, it was undeniable that he was the brains behind most of the stratagems they adopted.

Shizuka sensei would not admit this, since it would defeat her purpose in forming the Service Club, but it was clear that Hikigaya was the winner, even if it wasn't a perfect victory.

But it wasn't until the fateful Cultural Festival that I saw a flash of what he truly was.

What transpired during that Festival is well documented in several places. Everyone in school heard about it. Everyone would have drawn their own conclusions from it. A conclusion based on whatever aspects of that incident struck them the most. Thus, each mind would paint a different picture of the same scene. Even among the people who were present on the rooftop at that time, no two individuals would walk out with the same impressions.

It is likely Shizuka sensei saw an ultimately well-meaning boy who was trying to take the blame for the delay on himself, removing the burden from the attention-seeking Committee President's shoulders. A selfless act of sacrifice, someone trying to help in the only way they knew how to: by making sure everyone stays happy, except the one to whom happiness will always be denied. Himself.

This would not be an incorrect conclusion to draw from the event.

Similarly, Yukino most probably saw someone with a set of ideals drastically different from her own, diametrically opposite even, yet possessing the strength, determination and intellect to live by those ideals, act on them, and deal with the consequences. However begrudgingly, she would be forced to acknowledge him.

Again, this is not an incorrect conclusion, to an extent.

But I doubt anyone else saw what I did. And I did see the incident. One of my abilities is Scrying, which enables me to see things happening elsewhere, as if I had a camera placed there.

And I saw the one thing no one else did.

That wasn't just a smart individual who knew how to push people's buttons and get responses out of them. It wasn't just someone taking the fall for someone else. It wasn't just someone who wasn't afraid to live by their ideals.

The look in his eyes as he said those words. His posture, tone, body language. Everything indicated he was deliberately doing it in a way that would make it as painful for himself as he dared.

This wasn't just him taking the fall.

It was a silent cry for help.

Not deliberate. Far from it.

He couldn't allow himself to do that. It would mean turning his back on everything he'd forced himself to believe in. The venomous hatred that he'd cultivated, and that had made him strong enough to endure any insult thrown his way without flinching. The hatred that allowed him to be indifferent to a world that had turned its back on him. It kept him going when all else failed.

So his subconscious must have acted where his conscious couldn't, instinctively calling out, through his actions, hoping someone would answer.

Of course, no one did.

Not even me, the only person who heard that cry.

To his credit, he shook it off remarkably quickly, only allowing himself a short rest on that rooftop. I found the sight made me feel something that I couldn't quite define. I had actually been watching with bated breath while the actual confrontation was going down. Now that it was over, it occurred to me that Hikigaya had basically broken the game's rules, for a short while.

Hayato possessed an active Protagonist Trait. Hikigaya did not. He had still managed to dominate that scene.

I shook my head. Maybe I was overthinking things.

Shortly afterwards, he helped clear the stage and made his way to his Clubroom, where he was, fittingly enough, met by my dear little sister, at her abrasive best.

"How does it feel to be the most hated person in school?" she said with a slight smile on her face.

An almost imperceptible twitch of his brow was the only sign that the question _did_ in fact sting.

"It feels great. It's always good to be acknowledged."

_Good man. He's made self deprecation and lateral thinking an art._

I found myself smiling in spite of myself. The boy could be quite funny sometimes.

The mood in the room changed, even as I watched from afar.

_Of course. They've spent this much time together. He will at least try to find out if they can be friends._

"Hey, Yukinoshita. Wanna be-"

"Sorry. Not happening."

I will admit I felt slightly irked by how quickly she gave that response.

However, she was not done speaking.

"I've already told you. It's impossible for us to be friends. I don't lie."

"No, that's all right. Feel free to lie. Feign ignorance on something you know. It's far weirder to force someone to play by your rules than accept things as they are."

_Of course. Even he has an upper threshold of how much awkwardness he can take. He's trying to change the topic. _

"I wasn't lying. I really didn't know you."

That statement was rather ambiguous. It that, and what she had said earlier, it seemed this wasn't the first time Hikigaya had asked her this question.

"But I do now", finished Yukino with a wink.

Once again, I felt strangely annoyed at that open-ended statement. There was an obvious dissonance between her words and her body language here. Either she was being sarcastic (which technically counts as lying, if you really want to get into it), or she was leading him to a different conclusion.

I found both those possibilities distasteful, though I wasn't sure why.

Whatever the meaning was behind her words, the two of them continued to get closer as the year progressed, and eventually, it became clear to me that Hikigaya was falling for my younger sister.

I might have destroyed ⅓ or ¼, not sure how much exactly, of the family estate when I realized that fact. It took me about several hours to repair all the damage and erase the memories of anyone who had witnessed me hurling lightning bolts around.

Why exactly was I so angry?

Was it because once again, Yukino was getting something, or rather, someone, in this case, that I found interesting, all the while treating him like little more than an afterthought?

I had prized freedom, only for my parents to give it to her, not me.

I had desired the Protagonist Trait, only for it turn out that she possessed it, not me.

And I had found Hikigaya Hachiman interesting.

Far more than Yukino, who saw only a convenient crutch. I saw him more clearly than she ever could, if she was even capable of looking past herself in the first place. I understood him better than she ever would. Appreciated him for his many good qualities, unlike her.  
For someone who had suffered so much due to society's tendency to judge by appearances and stereotypes, she was doing a remarkably good job of keeping those alive in her constant jabs at him.

Things came to a head when Hikig- Hachiman… made a declaration to his clubmates. Interestingly, I was not the only one eavesdropping on that particular conversation, though I was the only one doing so by supernatural means. The annoying first year brat who had taken over as StuCo President was listening from outside the door. Further down the corridor, a delinquent-looking girl with long silver-blue hair was straining her ears to catch every word. And a little way down the stairs, the blonde girl, Miura, who Hayato likes to keep around, was listening as well.

Of course, my attention wasn't on them.

I was far too busy listening to what Hachiman had to say.  
It was a naive dream that he talked about, to be sure. Humans cannot understand everything about each other even if both parties are fully willing. But he at least wanted a relationship, regardless of what label was placed on it, where he didn't have to pretend. Something _genuine._

_Something genuine, huh?_ To someone like me, who had worn a mask since she was a child, it was next to impossible. Deep inside, I wondered. If I took off all the layers, all the different facades I had crafted, what would I see? _Who_ would I see?

But that was something I could think about later.

Mother was starting to get worried about Yukino _chan_ wasting all the opportunities that had been given to her.

_About fucking time_, I thought.

Of course, as the responsible daughter, I was asked to watch over her and rectify the situation.

It was an excellent opportunity.

I got plenty of chances to meet Hachiman, and a solid excuse to justify my presence as well.

During one of these meetings, I accidentally used the skill Reveal Truth on him. It was a skill that could reveal any living being's stat sheet, unless they had a skill that directly prevented me from accessing it.

The truth I learnt about explained a lot of things.

_Hikigaya Hachiman had a Protagonist Trait. _

He had a Trait, but it was still dormant. That meant he had not been approached by the overseers yet. It became obvious that he would definitely be taking part in the twisted game we were playing. But when he would enter it was still a mystery. The later it was, the more of a disadvantage he would be at, since the more time other players would have had to level up.

It also meant one more thing.

Nothing could ever exist between us.

I was a Neutral, and thus could never have anything more than a passing relationship with a Protagonist at best.  
One day, he would approach me, to level up, and that was all we would have. A working relationship.

I'd be doomed to watch as he either got shredded by his opponents, or lived, most likely to ride off into the proverbial sunset with my _dear younger sister_.

My undergrad days and his high school days ended on a sad note for both of us.

He was unable to confess to Yukino, just as I was unable to confess to him.

Even so, she had gained something from the time she had spent with him. She left for the States, no longer the wreck she had been after the incident with Hayato. With her self-belief rekindled, she would be able to access the power of her Trait to its true potential, and most likely surpass me during her time abroad.

As for Hachiman, he hid it well, but he was extremely depressed after her departure. Quietly, he made an unceremonious, unnoticed exit from the lives of the people he had come to know in high school, returning once more to the path of a loner.

I continued to watch him from time to time, and even thought about getting in touch with him, but it would have been exceedingly painful for me.

In the first place because all the life and energy he had when Yukino was around was gone, and he was a shadow of his old self. In the second, because every second I spent with him would constantly remind me of what I could not have.

Imagine my surprise when the fire that I thought had been extinguished for good was reignited by someone _not _named Yukinoshita Yukino.

Appropriately enough, the one responsible for Hachiman's resurrection was a woman he calls the Fire Queen: Miura Yumiko.

He was back to his old ways. Attacking people's weaknesses, reading them like books and playing them like fiddles. It was like watching a villain at work, and I wondered if what he possessed wasn't actually an Antagonist Trait.

It was extremely enjoyable. His joy was infectious. After a hard year alone, he had finally found someone he could believe in, someone to fight for. The change was instantaneous, and great enough that I wanted to meet him again, in person.

During that meeting, I learned that he had accumulated a great deal of exp, enough that he could level up and not be at a disadvantage against any of the other players. He chose wisely when it came to the stats he wanted me to upgrade for him. The result was a stable, strong build that would be a beast in close quarters combat. His naturally high intelligence, which he had also maxed out, would ensure he wouldn't be out-tacticed either.

But the one skill that completed his build was a skill I didn't think a Protagonist would ever choose, least of all him.

I do, as a matter of fact, read DC comics. If I had to draw parallels between him and beings from that world, the most obvious similarity would be with a certain Caped Crusader.

But that was not the one he had chosen to model his power after.

And rest assured, he wanted power. He _needed_ power.

A power to protect the girls he had come to care about.

That part of him had not changed one bit. The part that would do whatever was required to make sure the people important didn't get hurt. The part that would embrace any method to get the job done.

It's poetic in a way that gives me chills.

All his life, Hachiman had dealt with a world that had shunned him on account of his appearance. On account of his nature. Used him and pushed him away when it was done. Denied him the things that all humans wished to enjoy.

Light. Warmth. Company.

What he was facing wasn't a single person. It was a fundamental force of nature.

He was facing the unfairness of the world.

So he would face it with another fundamental force of nature.

A law and an immutable fact that the entire universe was subject to.

Entropy. Destruction. Darkness.

The manifested power of darkness and entropy, in the form of the Omega Effect. Capable of transmuting, transporting, transforming… and annihilating entirely. 


	8. Chapter 8

__**The Pain Only the Strong Feel-2:**

**Hachiman's POV:**

An endlessness. I'm drifting. A vast blackness.

_There's no light here. _

How far does it stretch? Where am I?

_There's no space here._

How long must I endure this? How long have I been here?

_There's no time here._

"I must get out. I must get out."

_Why? What do you fight for?_

"There are people whose lives depend on me. Their freedom depends on me."

_Life? Freedom? There are no such things._

"You lie."

_There is no life or death. Only unlife.  
There is no hope and warmth. Only purpose.  
There is youth or old age. Only eternity._

_There is no free will. Only Darkseid._

"You lie. You fucking lie."

_Rich irony, coming from someone who turned his back on those things. The child who could only watch as the world passed him by. Was it fun? Watching others enjoy that which you could not?_

I looked up. In this vast emptiness, the only things I could see were the _eyes_. Those burning eyes, brighter than stars. All power lay in them. The temptation to bow down to them was beyond overpowering. No, it went far beyond temptation.

Every fibre in my body already belonged to him. My very act of defiance, the simple act of talking back to him was sacrilege.

The only thing keeping me going was the thought of _them_. If I lost here, I'd never be able to protect them.

_Why this power? You appear to me to have a so-called hero's heart. Like that annoying Kryptonian and his ilk. You would have been better off asking for his abilities. _

I shook my head.

"No. I wouldn't"

_Oh? Why so?_

"I chose your power because it's stronger. And above all, I need strength. I need power."

The voice that penetrated my head became silent. As if its owner was thinking. Contemplating my words. Eventually, he spoke again.

_You finally speak words of reason. You chose my power because you realised it was supreme._

"But make no mistake, you don't fool me with your sophisms."

_Don't try me, human._

The burning supernova-sized eyes became intense enough that I could almost feel myself melting from their heat. But I went on.

"You might dominate weaklings and fools, but I have a spine. More than that Kryptonian poser who keeps challenging you."

The voice laughed. It appeared the god of darkness had a sense of humour. Taking that as a sign, I continued.

"Hope is a funny thing. Anyone can wield its power. You see the injustice here, do you not? One person's hope may lie in another's demise. Does that mean that he is in the right for using the power of hope to take away that person's free will? Because that's all this sick game is.

Protagonists. Heroes.

Walking piles of excrement.

They'll use 'hope' as a weapon. And of course, it's a weapon that's completely illogical. How do I fight something like that? They'll twist anything to their advantage. Make it sound as if it's only _right and just _that they should win. The more the odds are stacked against them, the greater their odds of victory.

What sort of retarded logic is that? What the hell did the rest of us toil for? Work for? Come so far for, only for some dense idiot to take everything and push us into the shadows because of some 'Trait'?

I would deny such a fate.

But I can't fight using hope. I don't have such a thing inside me. I haven't for a long time.

I can't be a hero."

The voice remained silent. He was waiting for me to say what I had to. This was my chance. The only chance I'd have. Simply choosing the skill from the list Haruno had showed me wasn't enough.

The Omega Effect has to be _earned._

Everything hinged on my next words. On the strength of my resolve. He would put me through hell if he saw fit, for an eternity. And again. And again. And again. Until not even enough remained of me to scream. So I needed to convince him.

"I can't be a hero", I said, my voice stronger. "Because I don't believe in hope. I don't believe in being controlled. I don't believe in being saved. If I want to be saved, I'll fucking save myself. _I _control my life.

Life is meaningless. Hope is meaningless… unless _I _choose to give it meaning. Because I _am _Darkseid."

My bluff was cast. All I could do was wait and see if it worked. Suddenly, I felt horribly naked. As if he was staring into my soul, which he probably was.

What the hell was I thinking? I was just a guy who was fond of spouting my own "philosophies". They might have impressed and disgusted the people around me. Did I really think I would be able to pull one over on a god?

Especially after I had just claimed his power and his name, right in front of him?

The eyes grew hotter still, and I could feel myself burning. Every nerve in my body screamed for release. It was pain on a level that was beyond my imagination.

Darkseid spoke to me.

_Perhaps I have not chosen so poorly after all. _

"Ch-chosen? What… arrghhhh…. What the hell are you talking about?"

Darkseid laughed, his voice echoing in the nothingness.

_Did you really think _my _power, the Omega Effect, was something that ended up in a game by chance?_

"Why… what are you trying to gain from all this?"

_Nothing, for once, except satisfaction._

"That… doesn't make any sense!"

_I am already dead, human. The Kryptonian saw to that. What remains of me is the Omega Effect, and the fragments of me scattered in it. _

"So you're going to use me as a host… for your resurrection?"

_Impossible. Not enough remains of me for me to be resurrected. Even the construct speaking to you now is just an approximation formed using data of my expected thought processes. A mere painting of a ghost, if you will._

"Then why help me at all?"

_Because the Omega Effect needs to survive. If not you, it will find another host. The multiverse is always in a state of balance. If light exists, so must darkness. At the very least, I wanted it to go to a person who, even if only a little, was worthy of it. Someone who understands the true nature of the world. Not someone blinded by delusions. So I used the last of my power to manipulate the overseers into putting the Omega Effect into the 'game' they were organizing… knowing that you would choose it. _

I glared at the eyes.

"Just so you know, I'm fighting for free will. The very thing you detested."

_For now. But I know your soul better than you do. In time, you will rise to become a ruler more powerful than even I was. Win the game, and from there… win the multiverse. _

With that, the stars of his eyes exploded, consuming everything.

"Arrggh!"

I sat up, breathing heavily. On instinct, I looked down, feeling my body all over, making sure I wasn't burning.

I was in bed, drenched in sweat. Looking around, I saw the familiar walls of my apartment.

_That was just a dream? _

Shaking my head, I got up and checked the time on my cell phone. 5:00 am. Too early to leave for college, too late to go back to sleep again and expect to wake up on time. Besides, I didn't think I could sleep right now, even if I tried. Taking off my clothes, I entered the bathroom and stood under the shower, turning it on and feeling the ice cold water run down my body. It was an intensely physical feeling, and it calmed me, because it brought me out of my own head.

After the dream I'd just had, inside my head was the last place I wanted to be. Still, I needed to gather my wits. I tried to summarize what had happened to me, what was going in.

_Okay. Let's start at the beginning. A week ago, I was in a car crash, but was healed up completely thanks to this dude from another dimension. This same dude then proceeds to inform me that I have a Protagonist Trait, that basically makes me a Harem MC._

_I thought it was a joke, but then I met Yumiko the next morning. For some reason, my Trait stops working, and I get a chance to get to know her better. She ends up staying over at my place._

The memory of that night caused a powerful stirring in certain parts of me, and I felt my face grow hot. I shook my head. _Stay focused._

_My Trait comes back online again, and these so-called overseers send me a text. All of a sudden, my life is now part of some weird player vs player RPG, complete with stats and skills and all that._

_I go to college and run into Haruno, who invites me to lunch. It turns out Haruno is a Neutral in this game, and the one I have to go to in order to level up and learn new skills. It turns out I had a bunch of exp already thanks to all the flagged events I completed in the Service Club, so I was able to level up my stats with a build that should be able to stand up to anything._

_Maxed out strength, vitality, intelligence and endurance. Level 50 dexterity._

_I learnt some skills. Hand-to-hand combat. Mastery over alien technology. _

I was done taking my shower now.

The levelling up had happened yesterday. I'd been so tired after it that I'd come home and fallen straight asleep. I'd woken up again just now. Meaning I'd slept for twelve hours.

_I haven't really tested my powers, have I?_

Walking over to the kitchen, I began to fix myself a quick breakfast. Once I had some fuel in my stomach, it was time to see what I could do.

**Fifteen minutes later:**

I was now standing at a construction site that wasn't far from where I lived. Normally, when you think of lifting weights and testing your limits, you'd go to a gym or a sports ground. But if what Haruno had said about my stats was true, I should be capable of much more. So the only way to start gauging myself… was to go much bigger.

It was still quite early in the morning. Construction workers would arrive soon, but I had around twenty minutes or so, which would be plenty. Taking a deep breath, I stared at the stack of steel girders in front of me.

_Am I really going to have to calculate how much this weighs?_

Math had been a dreaded weakness of mine back in school. And I hadn't really paid much attention in science classes either.

_What even is the density of steel?_

8,050 kg/m3.

_Wait, what? I know the answer?_

It seemed the Mastery over Alien Technology skill also included basic knowledge of materials on Earth.

_Okay, then, if this stack is 6.096 metres long and 1 metre high…_

To my surprise, I was able to estimate the dimensions of the girder stack to the third decimal place. It was as if I _knew_ exactly what the sizes were the moment I looked.

_Is this what class 100 intelligence is like?_

I did the math, and according to the calculations, the stack ought to weigh… 49.072 tons.

All of this took me about a second to do, which was definite proof that my mental faculties were considerably more developed, considering how pathetic I'd been at math once. Of course, intelligence was more than being able to crunch numbers, but this much of a jump in one day meant that the RPG mechanics definitely worked.

Despite this, as I stepped up to the stack, I felt a sense of trepidation in me, and more than a slight nervous tingling in my stomach.

_I'm supposed to lift this? Even if my calculations are off, this is still something no human should be able to even budge._

But I needed to see if I really did have powers. So, drowning out the voices in my head that were telling me I was going to feel like an idiot when it didn't work, I bent down, trying to get an idea of how to grip the stack in the first place.

The girders were neatly arranged adjacent to each other and in straight piles, and then tied together and held in place with chains. So I could approach it in the middle lengthwise, sort of like it was a barbell. Or, if I was feeling adventurous, I could approach one end of it and try lifting it from there, as if it was a baseball bat or golf club.

_Haruno said that class 100 strength was large mountain level. So… if she was right, this should be basically a feather to me? Doesn't really matter where I grip it, right?_

Keeping that in mind, I grabbed one end of it, wrapping my arms around the sides like the most awkward hug in the world… and tried straightening my torso.

With alarming ease, the stack came off the ground. I could barely feel any resistance at all. For an instant, I felt an overwhelming sense of elation, since prior to this, I wasn't a guy who lifted at all.

That instant passed when I realised I had pulled too hard, and was now toppling, off balance.

_Shit!_

Stumbling, I slid one foot back and tightened my core, barely managing to keep my balance. Once I was sure I wasn't going to fall, I eased my stance a little and stood up straighter. The actual weight of the girders felt like next to nothing, but common sense told me that dropping them on the concrete foundation here would do a lot of damage.

Carefully, I lowered the stack in my arms and placed it back down on the ground before walking over to its centre. This time, I dug my fingers under it and brought it up before lifting it above my head in its entirety horizontally, as if it were a bar. I remembered that this was called a military press, and worked out the core, deltoids and triceps.

_Not going to lie, this is actually really fucking cool._

Exhilarated by my newfound strength, I tossed the weight upward into the air before catching it in a cradling position in my arms and placing it back down again.

I flexed my arms experimentally. On the surface, I didn't appear bigger or more jacked than before. So whatever changes the RPG mechanics had made to my stats worked on a different level than building up muscle fibres. I remembered a quote from a certain landmark sci-fi film.

"_Do you really think how strong or how fast you are has anything to do with your muscles, in this place?"_

I was inclined to agree. If my data had been altered directly, then it would depend on the part of my data being changed. In this case, the parameters for my functionality had been expanded, while those for my appearance remained the same.

Checking my watch revealed that it was almost time for the construction workers to start coming, so I should be getting out of here.

_Maybe this will give me a chance to test my speed._ I turned on the timer function on my wristwatch.

Getting into a sprinter's starting crouch, I counted myself off before dashing.

Strangely, it didn't seem to me that I was running any faster than I did before. Instead, it appeared as if the world had slowed down around me.

_Heightened reaction time and perception along with movement speed? Extremely useful. _

The distance from the site to my apartment was around 2 km.

I'd had decent stamina even before gaining my new powers, so running that far wouldn't have got me tired.

Sprinting the full distance without a break on the other hand? I'd have been gasping for breath.

Instead, I was nonchalantly checking the timer I'd set, not even a bead of sweat rolling down me.

_0.1 seconds_

_Wait, hold on. Am I… potentially supersonic?_

I was trembling because I was afraid it wouldn't work before.

I was trembling now because I was thinking of all the things I could do.

_Note to self: Examine effect of MAX Coffee on speed._

It was clear that the the game mechanics had indeed worked.

My character was ready for action.

_And so are my opponents._

It was a sobering realization that instantly calmed me down. I still felt the energy coursing through me, but I was focused now.

_That's right. I got these powers for a reason. This is no time for me to spend a whole chapter having fun with them, like some kind of superhero origin movie._

_Still, why do I feel like I'm forgetting something important?_

I began to walk back upstairs to my apartment, considering my options, trying to figure out the best course of action.

_The other protags… Haruno said they're all trying to build harems. Some of the abilities on the skill list she showed me were from other worlds. Does that mean that some of the protags I'll face are from other worlds as well?_

It was a bit of an intuitive leap. It wasn't a given, but it was definitely possible. The reason gamers are able to win video games is precisely because they are able to see the world of the game from an outside perspective, and grasp its patterns and functioning.

_Let's see here… this whole setup is following certain conventions._

_(1)It has elements of a multiplayer RPG. That means, each player is potentially OP compared to the world, but not compared to other players._

_(2)It's also following a battle royale format, which means, everyone is against everyone else. However, temporary alliances can, and will, be formed. _

_(3)And finally, it's following the conventions and patterns of a VN or harem manga. In that sort of series, a Protagonist will run into the Girls even if he doesn't search for them. Which means, at this very moment, any of us could run into one of them._

_From point (1), we know that the game does not automatically give the advantage to any one player. Therefore, who meets a girl first is a matter of random-number-generation. Effects based on RNG are modified by… the luck stat._

My luck stat was at level 5, which was average for an ordinary human, but given how this game worked, any of the opponents could have luck level 100.

I shuddered to think of the OPness of a build like that. Raising a hand, I wiped my brow. I realised I was sweating now. I was nervous that they had a head-start on me. Nervousness wasn't good. I needed to be calm. Needed to think clearly to win.

Opening the door of my apartment, I entered and began to change into regular clothes that would be okay for most locations I might need to go, and would also provide decent mobility. With that in mind, I put on a pair of cargoes and a white t shirt, with an open button-up shirt over it. I grabbed my wallet, keys, phone and the backpack containing my books, and made my way outside. It was still far too early for college, but I probably wouldn't be attending classes.

_Okay, think. There's nothing I can do to fix the matter of the luck stat right now. Some of them might already have met some of the girls. This thing is following VN rules, and set in my world. Which means, I already know all of the women. Where are all of them right now?_

_Yuigahama- Location unknown. Haven't talked to her in two years.  
Isshiki- Location unknown. I blocked her number around the time I graduated high school. _

I swore internally. That had been a mistake.

_Kawasaki (woah! I remember her name!)- Location can be discovered. Komachi is in touch with that insect brother of hers._

And that led me to another problem. When I had first moved out of my parents' place, Komachi had surprisingly raised quite a hue and cry over it. She used to come over quite often, but as time went by, those visits became more and more infrequent. Siblings growing apart is a natural thing… but it couldn't have happened at a worse time.

As things stood right now, I hadn't spoken to her for several weeks.

A prickling feeling of horror began to creep over me.

_Oh shit. Komachi's a girl too._

_That means…._

I whipped out my phone at lightning speed and dialled her number. The ringtone played in my ear as I waited for her to pick up. With each ring, my impatience grew. By the time the tenth ring came, I felt as if molten lead was flowing through my stomach.

_Damn it all._

Ending the call, I dialled another number, one I hadn't dialled in the last few months.

Once again, I went through the agonizing process of waiting for the person at the other end to pick up. This time, however, to my immense relief, the call was received.

"_Hello?"_

"Dad. Hachiman here."

"_I know. I have your number saved."_

Hikigaya Houtarou sounded about as tired as he always did. Judging by the time, he must be getting ready to leave for work. _Corporate reporting hours are getting ridiculous. _I felt a twinge of regret for disturbing him this early, especially all of a sudden, after not having spoken to him for so long. But there was no time to dwell on that.

"Listen, this is important. It's about Komachi."

Immediately, I felt that I had his absolute and undivided attention.

_I'm appealing to my father's daughter-con tendencies to protect my little sister from some two-bit jerk who's going to try some shit with her. To think a day like this would come._

Pushing down those thoughts, I spoke into the line.

"Where is she now?" I asked.

Some of the worry I was feeling must have seeped into my tone, because it was reflected in his voice as he replied.

"In Kyoto. She's on her annual school trip with the rest of her class."

In a fit of frustration, I punched the lamp post next to me, bending it completely out of shape like a broken spine at the point where my fist had connected.

_Calm. Stay calm._

"When is she coming back?" I asked.

"This evening", he replied. "Hachiman, what is going on? You're hiding something, aren't you?"

I shook my head, although he couldn't see me. With no other option, I decided to lie.

"I still have a few people I know in Soubu. They tell me that some unsavoury characters have been following Komachi around recently. Listen, Dad, whatever happens, do NOT let boys from any other schools into the house. If possible, take a few days off work. I know it's a lot to ask, but-"

"Say no more", he said. "I understand. I'll call in sick for the rest of the week."

_Good man. As little as we talk to each other, I can always count on him._

"I'll try and come over as soon as I can, most likely tonight, and tomorrow at the latest. Remember, Dad, don't let any high school kids in. Scratch that, don't let any unknown boys in."

"Must protecc. Got it."

I ended the call, not feeling completely reassured, but at least slightly more so than before.

_Kyoto... With my speed, I could run there… but if she's coming back this evening, it means she's already been there at least two days or so. The meeting might already have happened. A better strategy would be to wait for her to come back before speaking to her. Turning up all of a sudden over there is only going to make her suspicious. _

I ignored the thought at the back of my head that Dad hanging around in the house was going to make her suspicious too. I could explain things to her once she came back, and hopefully finish off whatever MC was going after her before he even got a chance to raise any flags.

With Komachi safe, I could find Kawasaki as well. Yuigahama and Isshiki were still in unknown locations… but I had mastery over alien tech. It shouldn't be too hard to build a machine that could find them, right? Anyway, that would have to wait for later.

Who else was left?

Yukinoshita… was abroad. Halfway across the world, who knows where. Would I use some sort of machine to find her too? And what would I even say to her once I found her?

A few images from the last days we had spent together flashed in my head, and I shoved them away.  
_Not now. It doesn't matter. I'll watch over her from the shadows. All I need to do is defeat the other MCs. _

The Service Club… it hadn't just been the three of us, there had been someone watching over us as well.

_Hiratsuka Sensei._

Fortunately, I _did _have her number. We occasionally spoke, though the last time had been quite a while back. We were long overdue for a meeting. We'd need to make it happen soon, and I'd need to find a way to watch over her.

_You've done a lot for me. I won't let you down._

Haruno was a Neutral, so she'd be safe.

That left… Yumiko.

_Oh crap. I promised her I'd meet her yesterday._

The arrival of Haruno and the things she had revealed had driven that promise out of my head. It wasn't a meeting I could have avoided, but I'd still screwed up.

Yumiko generally came for a jog around here around 6:00 am. We worked out together in the mornings. Which meant, if I waited here, I should run into her. With that in mind, I sat down on a bench, and waited expectantly.

I must have been far more eager to meet her than I had thought, because I only left when I realized it was 7:00 am and she hadn't turned up. I ran a hand through my hair, trying to tame the storm of feelings inside. This was my fault. I had agreed to meet up and then failed to be there. And that after we had spent the previous night together, and I had told her I wasn't going anywhere. It must have felt like a breach of trust to her; as if I hadn't meant what I had said.

It must have felt terrible.

_I need to find her and make things right._

I did have her number, and could have called her. If she had skipped her workout, however, she was likely sleeping. It was at that moment that I realised how difficult the problem of choice could be. My phone was staring me in the face, her contact on the screen, the dial button a touch away. But I found I couldn't bring myself to do it, even after how intimate we'd been. I had no idea how she was feeling, but I could practically sense her anger from the other end, and I hadn't even dialled yet. It was keeping me from doing so, making me nervous.

In the end, I couldn't do it, and ended up going to college without having called her. My apologies would have to be given face-to-face.

I arrived at college with my mental state in a mess. It was hard to believe I had been revelling in my newfound powers just earlier this morning. Most of what I was feeling didn't make sense at all. Anger at myself. That part was justified. Anger at Yumiko? That wasn't right. This wasn't her fault at all. Regret. Again, why? If I hadn't met Haruno, I wouldn't have gotten my powers. Without my powers, I wouldn't be able to protect the girls. Then why was it that I felt this crushing sense of having fucked up?

Frustrated, seething, strung out, I went straight to the vending machine outside the college cafeteria to get myself the only thing that would restore a modicum of order in my mind: MAX coffee.

"Well well. You don't look so good, do you?"

I turned around to look at the person who had spoken.

She was shorter than me by a good margin, and dressed in what appeared to be a school uniform, with a green skirt, white shirt and beige sweater. That was all perfectly normal. What wasn't, however, was her hair, which was bubblegum pink, and the long, thin, almost comical tail ending in a heart shape that was extending from the bottom of her spine.

Everything about her radiated "trouble". She clearly wasn't anyone I knew, or anyone from this world. That could only mean, she was somehow related to the 'game'.

_A Protagonist? No… harem manga are catered mostly to boys, unless we're counting reverse harems. The relationships are mostly straight, too. A Female Lead, then? But I don't know who she is… by elimination, that can only mean she's a Girl from some other MC's world._

I turned, facing her at an angle and lowering my stance slightly. I knew what to do, and I realised it must be from the Mastery over Close Combat skill I had learnt.

"What do you want?" I asked in an even tone. I was still holding the can of MAX, but ready to move.

She smiled brightly at me, but it was a smile that didn't reach her eyes. This girl, whoever she was, was not an ally to me. I had a feeling I knew her, but I just couldn't put my finger on it. It was as if the information was being blocked by something.  
"Hikigaya Hachiman", she said. "Perhaps I should start by introducing myself. My name is Momo Belia Deviluke."

The name rang a bell. Strangely, it did so in a very unexpected part of my store of knowledge.

"You're the sister of the inventor", I said.

Due to my mastery over alien technology, I was familiar with a lot of the cutting edge discoveries that had taken place all over the universe… not just my universe, but other ones too. And Deviluke was a name belonging to a well known inventor. All of her creations were groundbreaking, but flawed in some absurd manner. I also had a feeling I knew more about her, but once again, something was blocking that information.

She looked slightly surprised I said that.

"Eh? Onee sama is generally more famous as being the princess of Deviluke…"

_Princess of Deviluke?_

This was going further and further into unknown territory, or, to be more precise, territory I had explored before but couldn't remember.

_Is is some kind of device affecting my brain? No, I'd know if something like that had been planted on me. All such devices leave a trace or tell, and my mastery allows me to spot all of them. Then… somehow, my data is being manipulated. This must be part of the game mechanics. Let's see… to make the battles fair, they probably ensure information we already have about characters from other worlds through reading their manga or watching their anime is temporarily blocked when we're facing them._

I clenched my jaw. _By that hypothesis, this is going to be a battle. Here in college? With everyone watching? Didn't Haruno mention that the battle was to be kept secret from the public?_

_No, I can't think about that right now. My goal is to win, and for that, I have to focus. _

"Deviluke, was it?" I asked.

"You can call me Momo", she said, brightly, her tone not matching the vibe she was giving off at all.

I ignored the blatant attempt to confuse.

"Deviluke… I don't have time for this. State your business and leave me be."

She pouted at that.

"Whaaaat? You're no fun at all. Sheesh. Whatever series you're from must be a real downer, huh? Probably full of obscure references and overly-complicated monologues. I bet you haven't even had an onsen arc yet. Boring as hell."

I could feel a vein ticking in my head.

"My series is _brilliant_. Judging by your words, you're probably from some series that relies on fanservice to sell itself. Shame. The adventures of my life manage to hold interest without any characters needing to take their clothes off."

She glared at me. It was clear my words had struck a nerve.

"Hmph. You're a sad excuse for a protagonist. Well, it doesn't matter. You'll be losing this game. You're about to have your precious Yumiko chan taken from you in moments."

I felt a cold chill in my stomach when I heard that. But it was replaced instantly by something stronger.

Anger.

_She's stalling for time. That's all this entire situation was. She was just buying time for her Protagonist to meet Yumiko._

"As a matter of fact", she said. "That meeting should be happening just about now, in this very cafeteria. You're welcome to come watch, as Rito's harem expands."

She walked past me into the building in question.

_Do I really want to see this? _

I had put all the exp I had earned over my time at the Service Club into becoming stronger. I was certain I could take any other MC in a straight-up fight.

I'd missed the entire point of this game.

It was possible to lose even if you were stronger.

All the Protag had to do was swoop in and steal your girl.

_Story of my life, isn't it? _

_But, I was never in this for my own happiness, was I?_

_I don't care about that. I gave up on it long ago. But, at the least, I wanted these girls to be able to choose for themselves. Not because some Trait was making them do so._

I followed her inside the cafeteria, and saw Yumiko seated on a table.

It was the same table where we'd eaten together, the same one over which she'd grabbed my collar as she had regained her Fire Queen side.

_Heh. I was able to do at least that much for her._

I had been prepared for this, hadn't I? Ever since the first time a rejection had actually stung, way back when I had asked out Orimoto. Since then, I hadn't thought something like love or a relationship was possible for me.

"Rito", as the Deviluke girl had called him, was walking towards her. He wasn't looking where he was going, attention focused instead on a machine he was holding. My knowledge of alien tech told me the device caused body parts to become magnetized together.

_Of course. Everything about him screams 'clumsy MC'. He's going to trip and somehow fall on her, and that device is going to ensure he remains stuck to whatever part of her he lands on. What a shitty plot device._

I watched as he came closer and closer to her. He was metres away now.

_I was never in this for my own happiness._

_Then why does it fucking hurt to think that I'm going to lose Yumiko? Why does it make me want to puke my fucking guts out when I imagine that insect tripping and falling on her? Why does it make me feel like I want to fight for her?_

_Fight for her and hold on to her?_

_Beat back anyone who tries to take her from me?_

I blinked.

_It's not just her free will I'm fighting for, is it?_

_It's also her feelings._

I liked Yumiko. No, it went beyond liking her. We'd shared a moment when she stayed over at my place. We'd already agreed then that we would try to know each other. Open up so that we could understand each other.

I wanted that, but that's not all I wanted. There were still many things I didn't know about her. Many things I didn't understand. But I at least knew this much.

I had feelings for her.

I'd deliberately refused to see them because I was wallowing in my own pathetic self-pity.

Refused to see them… until now.

_I don't want to lose her._

"_You think…" _

The Deviluke girl turned to look at me as I let those words slip. My fists were clenched.

"_You think I'll let you take her away… with such a shitty strategy?"_

Without waiting for an answer I stepped forward briskly, catching up to the boy easily. What I was about to do was exceedingly impolite, but frankly, I didn't give a flying fuck.

Grabbing his shoulder, I stopped him from moving. Attempting to take the device from him would trigger the Law of Cliches. Attempting to talk to him would trigger the Law of Cliches. Treating him with any degree of importance in this scene would trigger the Law of Cliches. Thus, I would give him the same treatment reserved for grunts and extras, and eject him from the vicinity immediately.

Therefore, with zero ado, I unceremoniously threw him headfirst towards the pink-haired girl as if he was a baseball.

As I did so, I gave the pair of them a sample of my thoughts on the matter.

"Stick to your own harem, you thirsty fucks! And NTR is, and always will be, a trash fetish."

He crashed into her with a loud thud, and the Law of Cliches was triggered. Thankfully, it was far away from Yumiko, who was unaffected, and in fact, unaware any of this was happening.

The Rito boy had landed on top of the devil-tailed girl, and of course, the device had been activated. I noticed that he had landed face-first in her cleavage. The girl was blushing furiously, and attempting to splutter words of anger and threats at me, but most of the impact of that was taken away by her moans as her MC desperately attempted to pry himself off her, and in the process, provided all sorts of stimulation to her breasts. In the end, she settled for a compromise.

"You may have… annhhh… helped me out today… aahh… but we'll be back to being enemies again…. Aaahhhhh… tomorrow!"  
I tuned out their now incoherent ramblings as I opened the can of MAX Coffee and finally took a sip of the sweet, savoury goodness. Finishing the rest of it quickly, I approached Yumiko. My heart was pounding out a kick-drum pattern again, and I knew it wasn't because of the caffeine I had just ingested.

I had been able to admit my feelings to myself. Confessing them to her was a whole other level of difficulty. As I came closer to her, my steps slowed down.

At that moment, the worst mistake I could have made was _thinking._

That would have been my typical choice. So I did the exact opposite, and acted.

"Y-yo." I stuttered slightly, but managed to get the greeting out. She looked up from her phone to see me.

Our eyes met, and time seemed to slow down once again, though I wasn't using my speed.

_I can't believe I didn't notice at school, but she really is beautiful._

I'd known she was attractive, of course, but there was so much more to her. She'd always been surrounded by people back then. And due to my biases, all I'd seen her as was someone trying to maintain the status quo. But even then, sometimes, when I'd watched their group from afar, during the lulls in their conversation, I could see her as she had been sitting just now, quietly tapping away at her phone.

Alone.

It's possible to be alone even in a group. I of all people should have known that.

She'd been betrayed once before, by someone she'd cared about.

And she'd chosen to trust me after all that.

Once again, her eyes lit up when she saw me, and I felt a wave of guilt sweep through me.

Immediately, I decided to do something I'd not done even when I was with the Service Club.

I actually bowed to her and apologized.

"Gomen nasai. I told you I'd meet you yesterday, but didn't turn up. It was entirely my fault, and I have no excuses. Please forgive me."

I kept my head bowed as I said all this. A part of me was afraid of how she'd respond.

"Hikio, it's okay."  
I looked up so quickly, I cricked my neck.

"R-really?" I said.

"Mmhmm", she said. There was a bright smile on her face that _definitely _reached her eyes. "It's not a big deal. I know you're not the type to back out on a promise, so whatever kept you away must have been pretty important. I'm not petty enough to hold a grudge over that."

I could feel my jaw drop open.

_How the hell? Is this what it feels like to be in the presence of an actual goddess? _

She seemed to be exuding warmth and a blessed presence.

Blushing slightly, she turned her head to one side.

"But… I'm surprised you chose to own up to it. People don't usually admit their mistakes, you know. It's good to know you care."

As I looked into her eyes in shock, I saw so many things. I could spend a year and still not succeed in describing the mix of feelings I saw in there. But, even now, even after everything we'd shared, after we'd agreed to try and be true to each other and not hold back, she was _afraid._  
_  
Just like me._

_She's afraid because she thinks this can end any moment. She's afraid that if she were to be honest with me, the same thing would happen all over again, and I'd leave. She's compromising to try and make this work, isn't she?_

Suddenly, other MCs and Traits seemed small in comparison.

This was my own human fear, reflected at me. I dealt with mine by shunning relationships, she dealt with hers by bravely putting herself out there, willing and prepared to be hurt.

It was a crying shame that "willing and prepared" had changed to "expecting".

_No more. You'll never be pushed aside again. Not for anyone._

Completely throwing all common sense out of the window, I knelt down in front of her and turned her head to face me. Surprised, her mouth opened slightly and her cheeks flushed.

"I'm just a creep, remember? The Fire Queen doesn't need to watch her mouth in front of me. If you're pissed at me, you should just come out and say it. Didn't I tell you? I'm not going anywhere."

Her lips started to tremble, and her eyes glittered.

"I waited for you…" she mumbled. "I waited for you for two hours in front of the gate yesterday, you jerk!"

"Absolutely unforgivable", I agreed. "How dare I keep you waiting."

"Shut up, you jerk. Go die." Nevertheless, she consented to let me wipe away her tears.

"Like I said, it's unforgivable."

I turned her head so that we were looking right into each other's eyes.

If I had been a bit more aware of my environment, I'd have noticed that pretty much the entire cafeteria had gone completely silent. Everyone was staring at us.

"It's unforgivable", I said, trying my best to put on a charming smile and hoping it didn't come out looking like something from a horror film. "So you should move in with me, and make sure it never happens again." 


	9. Chapter 9

**A Goddess' Blessing**

**Haruno's POV (approximately around the time Hachiman is giving Rito the baggage handler treatment):**

I stared with amazement at the incredible sight in front of me. For a moment, I rubbed my eyes, thinking I might be hallucinating. Opening them, I found that I was not. There wasn't anything wrong with the live feed my Scrying spell was giving me either. Which meant, what I was seeing was really happening. Hachiman had just broken his policy of non-confrontation. He had gotten involved, and not made himself a sacrifice. I had seen everything going through his mind as if it were written on his face. He'd begun with despair. Not surprising, considering he's used to losing, mostly because he doesn't let himself win.

And then it had happened. A momentary gleam in his eyes, probably the moment he realized that this time, he doesn't want to lose. He wanted to hold on to her. It was so clear, he might as well have shouted it for the world to hear. And the moment he'd made that realization, his look had changed to determined. I can't quite decide what part I liked better: the bit where he made the decision, or the bit where he threw the Yuuki boy right at his friend.

It would be a lie to say I wasn't slightly turned on by an assertive Hachiman. That Miura girl doesn't know how lucky she is.

I decided to release the spell when he asked her to move in with him. I already knew what her answer was going to be, and there were other things I needed to be doing. That, and watching him look at her like that made me want to level the estate again.

Well, there was nothing I could do about that. The Anti Hero Trait I possessed ensured that I couldn't have a happy ending in this game. Even using the powers of the Trope Subversion ability, I wouldn't be able to have something with him, because I had been given the role of Neutral. Breaking the guidelines set for a role is possible, but it leads to immense pain, and prolonged attempts to do so result in death. The overseers have altered our data to make sure we remain puppets on their strings, incapable of going beyond what they allow us to do.

_Story of my life._

Getting off my desk, I decided to go fix myself something to eat. My parents were out of town on separate trips. My current duties involved taking care of the estate and attending to the executives who came over. Most of the actual training for taking over Yukinoshita corp was happening here, as it had always had. This was convenient, since it gave me plenty of time to execute my duties as the Neutral player in the game.

As I made my way to the kitchen, my cell phone rang. Caller ID revealed it was… Yuuki Rito?

I frowned.

_Has he managed to detach himself from the Deviluke girl's breasts already? _

All of the Protagonists had my number, as I had theirs. This was to ensure we could contact each other by non-supernatural means whenever necessary.

_Why is he calling me now? Is he getting cold feet so soon?_

I picked up.

"_Hello? Yukinoshita san?"  
_  
"That's me, Yuuki kun!" I replied in the overly bright tone I used for these interactions. "How can I help you?"

"_Eh… hehe… well, I ran into one of the other players today, and he… er… he didn't seem very happy at all."_

_No shit, Sherlock._

Biting back on actually uttering that retort, I decided to be patient with him.

I did not actually dislike Yuuki. He had no particularly dislikeable traits. I did not like him, since he had no likeable traits. That is to say, he has hardly anything that sets him apart from thousands, nay, millions of other high school kids across the world. He is just that: just another kid, albeit one who happens to be part of this whole mess.

As much as a lot of people seem to think I delight in making others uncomfortable, this is untrue. That only applies for Yukino, who is exceedingly annoying, and Hayato, who makes me want to punch him in the face. Hachiman is different. I tease him to get a reaction out of him, since his reactions are always fascinating. And because it's one of the few things I can do with him.

But I digress. I had little interest in making the Yuuki kid's life any more difficult than it already was, since I was well aware he was not one of the stronger players in the battle royale. So, I decided to explain things to him.

Again.

"Eh, Yuuki kun, he probably wasn't happy because the two of you are rivals! One of you will lose, and obviously, he didn't want it to be him. I suggest you defend yourself a little bit. That could help."

_No it won't,_ I added mentally. _One of your opponents is a dragon, one of them is a magic sniper, one of them is a living solar battery, and one of them is a god. I don't think you're going to win. _

"_Haruno san… is all this really necessary? This battle royale… fighting others… harems… Isn't there a way out?"_

I sighed.

"You already know the answer to that. If you want to protect your friends, you'll have to take part."

"_I was afraid you'd say that. Then, I'd like to get stronger."_

"Do you have any exp saved up?"

"_I have a little. Will it be enough?" _

"Impossible for me to tell from here. I'll have to check your stat sheet. Come over this evening." 

**Hachiman's POV:**

"EEEEEHHHHH?"

A chorus of voices rang out all around me. I'd always thought doing anything vaguely similar to a confession in front of a bunch of people would be way more embarrassing than this. However, at the moment, I was completely focused on the girl in front of me. Whether that was due to my own Protagonist qualities, or just my reproductive instincts trying to ensure I'd be able to find a mate, is up to debate.

Thus, ignoring everyone else, I kept my eyes fixed on said woman, whose face was growing redder by the second.

"Hikio… what did you just say?"

"You should move in with me."

She blinked rapidly, unable to maintain eye contact with me.

"B-baka, what the hell are you talking about… don't go joking about things like that… th-th-there's a million things in the way! Parents, logistics and a bunch of other stuff. There's no way my dad would agree. And neither would yours. Yeah, this was just a joke, wasn't it? Besides… we haven't gotten that far yet…"

She spoke really fast, but said those last few words so softly, only I heard them.

As insanely cute as she was looking at the moment, it only strengthened my desire to make sure I could keep her safe.

Normally, this sort of scene takes a lot longer to play out, and generally, the protag only _inadvertently _asks the girl to stay over. Either that, or she comes uninvited. However, I had no time for cliches. I don't exactly have a lot of faith in my charm with women, but I need to go all out here.

"I don't mind meeting your parents, though", I said to her, leaning in for good effect. I was acting out of character here, but I was being honest. I really do like Miura, and half-assing things is not my way.

"I'm serious about this, Yumiko. About you."

As soon as I uttered those words, she stopped trembling, and looked me in the eye directly. There was a hint of a blush still on her cheeks, but it was different from before. Her eyes were glittering slightly, and locked on to me with an intensity that made it impossible for me to look away. The strength of it shocked me.  
_  
_Breaking all expectations, she leaned in as well, till her face was inches from mine. From this close, I could smell something sweet coming off her. Those familiar emerald eyes were still warm, but they were also filled with something else.

"Don't say those words so lightly, Hikio."

"I'm not", I replied.

I didn't back down, and put everything I could of my sincerity into my eyes. _For once, let there not be a joke about how they creep people out._

Yumiko breathed in sharply.

Reaching out, she gripped my hair and pulled my face towards her. A lot of the shyness was gone, replaced by the confidence that I'd come to love so much since getting to know her.

"Just so you know, this won't be a cakewalk. People get along great till they have to live together. Because that's when they find out all sorts of stuff they didn't want to know about each other."

"There's nothing about you that I don't want to know."

She closed her eyes, lips pulled tight. This is the moment. She's thinking it over. Everything will be decided here and now. I'd done all this, following my feelings for once instead of logic. This is where they had led me. It occurred to me now that what I had asked of her really was a lot.

She was seriously thinking it over. Yumiko had trusted me. Since we had met, a week ago. She'd had no reason to, but she'd chosen to do so anyway. I'd keep reminding myself of that, over and over again. Because she'd done the one thing I couldn't, and taken a leap of faith, put her faith in someone instead of closing all the doors.

_I won't let you down._

She opened her eyes.

"Okay", she said, smiling slightly. "I'll do it."

For a second, I had a brief internal image of me jumping for joy. Some of it might have showed on my face, though.

"Hikio, that grin is kind of weird, you know. But I suppose it's okay once in a while."

"Sorry, I got carried away a bit. Anyway, we have to move. We need to get your stuff packed up."

She started.

"Eh? You mean you want me to move in _today?_"

I nodded.

"Right away as a matter of fact. Come on!"

With that, I grabbed her hand, and the two of us walked out of the cafeteria to massive cheers. I even spotted a few of our professors among the crowd.

It was around this moment that I failed to notice something I should have.

The rival MC I'd just met, as well as that girl with him, were both gone.

Trusting my feelings had paid off big time, but my usual neurotic observation had been halted. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but little did I know… the day was only getting started.

My apartment wasn't very far from college, so I generally walked. Yumiko lived pretty close by as well. Since we'd need to pick up her luggage, we were on our way over to her place. As we went, I realized there was a growing pain in my head. All of a sudden, it spiked enormously, arcing through my whole body, and I involuntarily dropped to one knee.

"Hikio! Are you all right?"

Yumiko immediately crouched down next to me, trying to support me as I swayed.

"Yeah", I managed to say through gritted teeth.

_What's going on? _

An image flashed in my head, of a vast emptiness, and a glowing light in the midst of it. It began to spread, coursing like lightning through me. The feeling was familiar. It was the same as that from the dream I'd had.

A dream where I'd met _him_.

_How did I forget in the first place?_

The Omega Effect. The final power I had gained. It was in me. I remembered everything. Darkseid's death. Me being the new vessel for this force.

_What the hell kind of power is this? I feel like it's destroying my body from the inside. Like every cell is on fire!_

It was stronger than anything I had imagined. OP was an understatement. I could barely handle it. _What was I thinking asking for this? _

I felt like it was about to rip through me at any moment.

_Gotta hold on… somehow._

"Hikio!" Yumiko put a hand on my chest, her voice distorted by worry.

_I need this power. I can't have it going out of control._

I focused. This was the power of a god, a universal force of entropy, a fundamental force of nature. It made sense that it would have this effect when crammed into me. It was like trying to force an ocean to fit inside a water bottle. I was probably only able to hold on so long because my body was far stronger than an ordinary human's.

_No, that can't be it. It's out of control, almost like it has a will of its own. _

_Wait, that's it._

_Darkseid said "if not me, it would find another host". Meaning… it's sentient. It's not the amount of power that's the problem. It's the power itself that's rebelling against me._

_Which means, I need to tame it. _

_**Smarter than you look, human. Perhaps you are not an utter waste of organic matter after all.**_****

Those words came from inside, but I wasn't the one speaking them. It was a voice utterly alien to me, one I had never heard before, indeed one unlike any voice I had heard before. And above all, the voice was feminine.

_Who… who are you? _

_**You had just figured it out, hadn't you? **_****

_There's only one explanation I have, but it doesn't make any rational sense._

Another spasm of pain shot through my body.

_**Humans overestimate their rationality, when in truth, every conclusion they come to is biased by their emotions. Your "rationality" is a hindrance. **_****

I struggled to stay conscious through the feeling of flames licking my insides.

_You… are the power, aren't you? You're the Omega Effect._

The entity inside me emanated amusement, but also a slight amount of irritation.

_**Just Omega, actually. The "Effect" bit was something **_**he** _**added on because he didn't want to admit his power actually came from someone else. **_****

In my mind, I saw a vivid image of a woman. She was tall, taller than any Japanese woman I've seen, and probably quite tall even by gaijin standards. Even in the state I was in, I couldn't help but notice she was quite… well developed in certain areas. Her voluptuous figure was accented by a sort of athletic leanness, giving her a wild grace as she walked towards me in my mindspace. As she did so, her breasts bounced and swayed generously.

_Oi, put some clothes on!_

The expression on her face became even more amused as she leaned in close. Her skin was a metallic gray of sorts, and had a glossy sheen to it. Her eyes had the colours reversed, so where it would be light and dark for humans, it was the other way around for her.

_**I'm literally living inside your body, and can feel pretty much everything you can. And there's a part of you between your legs that tells me you're not being sincere in that statement.**_****

I, Hikigaya Hachiman, have now had the unique sensation of knowing what it's like to be simultaneously twitching in pain and squirming in embarrassment.  
_**Now, now, don't be ashamed. You're doing quite all right in the size department. Which, incidentally, is something human males spend far too much time thinking about. I sometimes think the men here are more obsessed with dick than the women are (especially in anime fandoms).**_

What the hell is with this overly-frank personality?! Is she really the manifestation of a universal force?!

_Oi, woman. How about you stop talking about dicks and… arrrghhh… stop burning_ _my insides?_

She blinked.

_**Why on earth would I do that? You're especially fun when you're in pain. **_

Teasingly, she reached out a finger and stroked my chin (or the chin of my mental self-image, if you will). A feeling like being tasered registered in my brain.

_**Do you know how boring it was being stuck inside the body of a god? He just wouldn't react, no matter what I did. Don't get me wrong, I agreed with him on a lot of stuff, but he was all work, all the time. Which means…**_****

She put a hand on my chest and brought her lips close to my ear. Breath as hot as the inside of a volcano assailed me as she whispered.

..._**I have an eternity of pleasure to be catching up on.**_

I gulped.

_HELP! SHE'S A SADIST! SHE'S A SADIST!_****

_**I actually prefer the term 'Dom'. I hope you'll be a good 'Sub' from here. We can look forward to having a long and fruitful relationship together.**_

_HALP! YUMIKO! HALP!_

_**If you're going to shout for assistance, at least do so physically, and not just in your mind. Also, due to the way I'm stimulating your nerves right now, you happen to have an erection. Gotta ask yourself, how would it look to your girlfriend that you suddenly collapsed to the ground in the middle of the day with a rock-hard boner? **_****

I felt my crotch struggling to stay in my pants, and looked at the madwoman in my head in horror.

_What the hell are you playing at? Stop this! Stop it at once!_

She wagged a finger at me.

_**No, can't do. Why would I stop? Like I said, I haven't had this much fun in ages.**_****

Omega smiled widely at me. This situation was so far beyond the bounds of normal, I doubt even harem manga could accommodate it. I needed to find a way to reason with her, and fast. I was on the verge of losing consciousness. And in the long term, I needed her power if I wanted to win the game. I could go to Haruno and ask her to exchange Omega for something else, but that would be a waste of time. I chose her in the first place because I had complete faith in her power. I just hadn't happened to know she was an actual _she_ at the time.

How am I supposed to reason with an insane, nigh-omnipotent deity?

_Think. There has to be a way._

I tried to keep her from hearing my thoughts as I attempted to form a plan.

_No matter how absurd this situation is, everything here is following the pattern laid down by harem mangas and RPGs. Of course, being actually alive, everyone is far more unpredictable than they'd be in a game or comic, but the base principles governing things haven't changed._

_Which means, she surely fits into one of the tropes as well._

_Let's see: she's a force of destruction, but her personality is focused on mundane and human things. She's a sadist, but nothing she's done to me so far seems to have caused me any actual damage. And she hasn't gone out of control trying to use my body to destroy things and people._

_This is… gap moe, isn't it?_

_It fits perfectly. She's the incarnation of entropy, but following the rule of tropes, she's bound to be a cinnamon roll inside._

My mind reeled under the weight of the sheer depravity to which I was resorting, but now was not the time to question all the hours I had invested in increasing my Otaku points. This might be my only shot out of this mess, and the only way to go was forward.

_Okay, taking that logic further, she's a girl, right? She's a girl, and obviously not a minor character. Everything here follows the rule of harem mangas, right?_

_What is a girl in a harem manga weak against?_

Ignoring my doubts, I decided to risk everything on my next move.

Making sure not to flinch, I looked into her eyes.

_I'm not asking you to stop for good. We're sharing this body now, aren't we? You don't have to be enemies._

She tilted her head slightly to one side, a look on confusion on her face.

The sheer incongruence between her nature and the gesture gave me an uncontrollable urge to reach out and pat her head.

_**Not enemies?**___

_That's right. It's not wrong that you want to have fun. I want to have fun as well. All I'm asking is that we get to decide when we have fun together. And also, maybe tone it down a little. You wouldn't want to accidentally destroy the body you're living in, would you?_

She stared at me, and somehow, defying the laws of physics, her alien eyes lit up with joy.

_**Really?**_

_Really._

Wait, isn't she getting a little too close? She was pressing right against me now, which meant that certain large objects were being squashed against me.

_**Human…. I have existed since before the birth of this universe. I have known sentience in this form for over a billion years. In all that time, not once has any living being accepted me as part of them. Darkseid allowed me to reside in him, but only in order to use my power.**_

_**This is the first time anyone has allowed me to stay willingly, after knowing my true nature.**_

_Okay…?_

Deep inside, I was pretty sure the "true nature" that scared people away was her inner sadist, not her role as a universal entity.

_**Are you being honest here?**_****

_You're already inside my mind. Can't you just find out if I'm telling the truth or not?_

_**Minds are not as easy to read as you imagine. And people are capable of concealing lies, even from me. So I'll ask again: can I trust you?**_

The pain was on the verge of becoming unbearable. But even so, Omega and I would be fighting together. It was essential that I have her on my side. I'd need her to protect the girls. Besides, I had no bad intentions towards her.

_You can trust me._

Her eyes grew even brighter. Considering what sort of being she was, she looked remarkably human at the moment.

_**Then I'll help you.**_

The pain lessened, and her presence receded into the deeper parts of my subconscious.

_**Call upon me when you require my help… and when you have time, come play with me again.**_

That last part caused my face to heat up, and I tried to pretend like I hadn't heard it.

As the pain vanished entirely, I opened my eyes and breathed heavily.

"...Hikio?"

Yumiko was next to me, her phone in her hands, the emergency number on the screen.

"I'm all right", I said. "There's no need to call a doctor. The situation's a little complicated, so it's best if we go to my place first. I can explain things over there."

"Hikio, you stopped moving completely for a second there. I really think we should see a doctor. If you want, we can meet my Dad-"

I placed a hand on her cheek.

"Trust me, I'm okay."

"...all right."

With that, we got to our feet, and continued, this time towards my apartment.

I honestly thought, that was the last really difficult thing I'd have to deal with today.

After all, even protagonists must get a cooldown period between difficult missions, right?

Unfortunately, given the poor balance of the game I was in, nothing of the sort existed.

As we turned the corner leading up to the building where I lived, I saw a suspicious person. Short and slight of build, with silver hair and incredibly deadpan features (which just happened to be focused on me at the moment), she undoubtedly belonged to the loli class. She was dressed in an unusual school uniform that seemed designed to show off her figure more than anything. She was doing her best to remain out of sight, but thanks to my years of experience with Stealth Hikki, I knew how to spot people trying to hide themselves.

A little further down the road, I spotted two more girls trying to "hide" themselves, and finally, standing in front of my gate, doing the worst impression of a "carefree whistling pose" that I've ever seen, was a high school boy who must have been around my height, with brown that ended in a small untidy ponytail of sorts.

My danger senses went into overdrive. It was from the Mastery Over Close Combat skill, which honed my instincts to sense killing intent.

Each and every one of these individuals was dangerous. And they were here for me.

"Yumiko… something bad is about to happen. Whatever happens, stay by my side."

"Huh? What are you talking about, Hikio? You've been saying strange things for a while now…"

I shook my head, not taking my eyes off them.

"Trust me on this. You're about to see a lot of strange things. Don't freak out. And don't wander far from me. It's about to get dangerous."

_The brown-haired guy must be the Protagonist among them. He seems to have the lowest fighting power out of the lot of them right now, but that doesn't mean anything. MCs get stronger during a fight._

Certainly, none of the people gathered here were even remotely like the kid I had run into earlier today. Unlike him, everyone here knew how to fight. Taking it easy on them was out of the question.

This was going to be a _fight._

I would have to call on the being whose acquaintance I had just made sooner than expected. Hoping beyond hope she would answer, I called out in my mind.

_Omega?_

Almost immediately, a surprisingly musical voice answered.

_**Yeeees? **_She deliberately drew the word out.

_I need your help. _

I could feel her smiling.

_**Thought you'd never ask.**_

She manifested in my mental space again, but this time, her position and stance overlapped my own, as if we were one.

_**It'll take a while to get used to my power, and to use it to its fullest potential, we need to trust each other. I already trust you, but you will have to do the same for me.**_

Despite her calm tone of voice, I could sense the anxiety behind that question. Regardless of everything else about her, I knew Omega was not fake. She was, from the start, genuine and open about everything she was, proud of it regardless of how others perceived it.

Still, trusting someone isn't exactly easy. Human life conditions us against it. This is doubled even further when the "someone" concerned is sharing your body with you, and whose cooperation would determine whether or not you'd survive.

She probably sensed my hesitation, because I felt her presence shrink a little.

_No. Now is not the time for logic. Everything that's happening now surpasses the bounds of conventional logic and the rules of this world. _

Ignoring my fears and trepidation, I tried to reach out to her.

_I have a hard time trusting people. It's just how I am. But I will trust you. So please help me._

As I said those last words, I tried to let my need to protect Yumiko and the women in my life seep into them, tried to convey in images and feelings what I otherwise could not.

Instantly, I could feel a sense of warmth from her.

_**I will help you. Come.**_****

Inside, I felt her mental image melding into mine. As I opened my eyes, I felt as if we were _both_ moving our body together. It wasn't a single one of us who was taking the decisions. It was both of us. There was some friction between our egos, but we were in synch, and feeling each other's intentions, and that allowed us to reach a common ground on which we could communicate and move together.

She was by far the more experienced of the two of us, and knew far more about combat than me, even with my Mastery skill. So I allowed her to guide my body.

On my part, I gave her information on what our goals were. Firstly, to protect Yumiko, then, to defeat the opponent.

Power flowed through every particle of me. My posture straightened up, correcting its natural slouch. I felt confident. Grabbing Yumiko's hand (she made a tiny sound of surprise), I walked forward with smooth steps.

**Issei's POV:**

"Buchou, he's coming this way. What do we do?"

I had already summoned the Boosted Gear in preparation for combat.

_Hikigaya Hachiman… so this is him, huh?_

Strange, I felt like I had heard his name before, known plenty about him. But for some reason, I just couldn't bring myself to remember from where. The only phrase that echoed through my mind was "not enough fanservice". I shook my head. Now was not the time to get distracted.

That strange dude from another dimension had told me that this Hikigaya guy was going to stand in the way of my dream of having a harem. That, of course, wasn't something I could allow.

Out of the question!

Given the rules of the game as I understand them, it seems each of us rival MCs. The explanation of Protagonist Traits certainly went a long way towards helping me understand exactly how and why I was still alive after the shit I've gotten into over the course of my life. And I how I ended up in a club with so many beautiful women.

Of course, NTR is a disgusting fetish, so I can't allow this Hikigaya to get his lecherous hands on anyone. Look at him! Those eyes are completely rotten. Probably ruined from spending all night awake watching hentai and trying to find that one good clip he saw the last night but couldn't remember the name of.

I'm not speaking from personal experience. Of course not.

But he has a girl with him right now. And… she's actually super hot? Look at those legs!

_He probably used some kind of blackmail or hax ability to get with her. Well, don't worry! I'll save you, and put this guy down while I'm at it._

Still, he looked far from being a pushover.

He looked like he was pretty much in the same shape as me. His movements were natural, smooth, confident. Every high class angel and devil I've fought moved the same way. Judging by that alone… he should belong to the highest tier there is. But that was impossible.

_Maybe he's a skilled martial artist?_

Kiba has smooth movements, as expected of a master swordsman.

We were around a hundred metres away from each other now. It was around this point that I felt something start to emanate from him. It grew steadily, until it became a massive presence that was almost suffocating.

_Wait, what?_

His power was still growing, and with a presence that was… completely unlike any I had felt before. It wasn't like the Angels, Fallen or otherwise, or the Devils, that I had faced. It wasn't even like Ddraig. Whatever it was, was older. I felt a cold sweat run down my spine.

"What immense power…" Rias murmured from in front of me. "It's similar to Divine power… but somehow different…"

"Buchou, are we sure about this?" Kiba called out from ahead.

He has to be taken out, right?

Then why did I feel this overwhelming sense of dread?

Like I was up against something far stronger? More powerful? More dangerous?

A familiar voice in my head called out.

_**This isn't good, Partner. I suggest retreating.**_

_Retreat? Why?!_

_**You aren't the only one with help. There's someone inside him too, someone I know well, and avoid. **_

_Who is it?_

The dragon seemed to shake his head.

_**She's a being older than any currently existing god, a fundamental force of existence itself.**_

_Wait, there are other gods?_

_**Why don't you ever pay attention during the tutorial? Yes, there are other gods. Our universe is one of many. Each universe has its own, some more than others. And not all of them have the same level of power. The entity I'm talking about previously resided within a feared god of darkness who invaded universes at will. He was able to effortlessly destroy worlds. Do you understand what I'm saying? The boy in front of you may well soon become capable of such things. This is not a fight we can win." **_****

_Are you out of your mind? That's all the more reason to finish him off!_

… _**She cannot be destroyed, but her vessel can. We might be able to defeat the boy, but it is a slim chance at best. **__  
_

I nodded. That was what I had been planning on doing from the start.

"Buchou, be careful. He's strong. Ddraig says we can't hold back against him."

"_Balance Breaker: Scale Mail."_

"Good thing I had this area vacated…" Rias murmured.

**Omega/Hachiman's POV:**

_The boy is transforming, Omega._

_**I recognize that form. This is where the Red Dragon ended up, huh?**___

_Red Dragon? Should I be worried?_

_**No. Should the need arise, I can destroy his vessel immediately. But it will mean breaking your condition of not killing. **___

_Isn't there a way to subdue him without killing him?_

_**We could beat him into submission, but this will be riskier. If his instantaneous power output exceeds ours for a moment, our body might be the one that gets destroyed.**_

_Then we'll just have to be stronger all the time, won't we?_

Omega smiled.

_**So be it.**_ _**The best defense, by the way, is an effective offense.**_

The power flowing through me surged, and we walked towards them. As we came closer, Omega spoke aloud through me.

"**So this is the body you ended up in, Ddraig? Funny. We both ended up in this game."**

The red-armoured Protagonist in front of me spoke, but the voice that emanated wasn't human. I guessed it must be the entity living inside him.

"**Begone, Insane One. Force of Universal Entropy. You are not welcome here."**

"**Now now. That's no way to speak to an old acquaintance." **

With speed even further beyond my level 100 abilities, Omega propelled our body forward, and we struck out with our fist towards the so-called Red Dragon.

The crimson protagonist met our blow with his own, and a shockwave reverberated from the impact.

_Omega, is this safe? We'll end up destroying everything in the vicinity if this keeps up._

_**Don't worry. I don't sense any living being besides us in a one kilometre radius. **_

Aloud, she spoke to our opponent.

"_**I'm stronger, you know."**_****

My own eyes widened at what I saw. The Red Dragon had stopped our punch, but his arm had cracked lengthwise. Quickly, he leapt backwards, out of range.

"Issei!"

One of the girls shouted the name, as she took to the skies. I noticed she had bright hair, the colour of blood.

_Wings? Are you kidding me? Next thing I know, she'll say she's a devil. _

Summoning a sphere of energy into her hands, she blasted it straight towards us. I took a quick glance at Yumiko. I had gained some distance from her when I had charged forward, but she was still well within what I assumed the blast radius would be.

_Omega!_

_**On it. **_

I felt her power focus in my eyes. We turned our gaze at the approaching ball of energy… and a beam of pure destruction shot forth from us. It was like my stare itself had gained the ability to destroy whatever it looked upon.

_So this is what it feels like._

The beam of Omega energy completely erased the ball the red haired girl had thrown at us.

"That's… impossible!" she said, eyes wide.

"Buchou!" a third voice cried out. A blonde haired boy wielding a blade dashed in towards us.

_Is this guy a fucking Hayama Hayato demo version?_

He summoned a scarlet blade in his hands as he dashed in.

_This is a colour coordinated team if I've ever seen one. _

To be fair, his skill would have been challenging to deal with, even with Level 100 stats.

But then, controlling my body was Omega, who was far more than a master. With fluid grace, we dodged and weaved, avoiding every swing and thrust of the deadly blade, which I sensed was capable of harming me.

_Why aren't we hitting back?_

_**Because he's trying to bait us into it. All of his attacks are half-hearted, and deliberately so. The moment we extend forward, he will take advantage and strike. So, we must make him lose his patience first. **_

The moment came sooner than expected. One of his swings seemed to require more movement than before, and he twisted his entire body.

Immediately, we dashed in, too close for the blade to touch us. We were in the radius of his arm now. Stopping said arm with one hand, we struck out with a punch to the solar plexus, meant to knock the breath out of him. This it did, and set him up for the follow up. We were too close for a right straight, so we used a swinging elbow strike instead, twisting at the hips to put our strength into it. The resultant blow connected with a sickening crunch that launched him sideways, all the way through the adjacent wall into the house next to us.

We had no time to celebrate, for the next moment, what felt like a freight train tackled us.

_The loli is the powerhouse among them?_**  
**  
She certainly was strong. While her maximum striking strength was not level 100, the average force of her blows was greater than mine. She was quickly able to force us to block and take a few steps back, at which point we were facing the dark haired girl who had so far not taken part in the battle at all.

"Holy lightning."

"What the-"

Lightning did indeed crash down on us from above. I could feel the electricity attempting to overcome the protection Omega's power gave us. Even with it, my skin was charred.

"**Checkmate."**

The Red Dragon had recovered, and was now standing behind us. There was a glowing orb of power in the centre of his chest, ready to be blasted right at us.

**Yumiko's POV:**

I stared in horror and fascination at the chaos unfolding in front of me. Hikio had said that I would see some strange things, but "strange" doesn't begin to cover what I've been seeing. It all happened so fast, there was nothing I could do. Some kind of power began to emanate Hikio, and he went straight for that weird guy wearing what I thought was some kind of red cosplay outfit. I've never known him to get into a fight. It's so out of character for him… but his reasons became clear when this whole bunch of weirdos started to use these powers against him.

Lightning rained down on him. A choked scream remained stuck in my throat. His shirt was fried, and his entire upper body was charred black.

The guy in the cosplay suit began to gather some kind of energy. I had a terrible feeling what he was going to do next.

_This can't be happening._

_This isn't happening._

_This is some sort of complicated joke, right, Hikio?_

_Please tell me it's a joke. I've just found you. This was supposed to be the start of our life together. It can't end like this._

"_HIKIO!"_

The energy shot forward, crashing into him at point blank range.

"Hi- HACHIMAN!"

I tried to rush to him, but my knees were shaking, and I sank to the ground.

A cloud of dust was swirling, making it impossible to see him.

The red clad figure crouched over slightly, breathing hard.

"That takes care of that", he said. He turned his armoured head to look at me.

"Don't worry", he began to say. "He's gone now. You're sa-"

He was interrupted by a hand that shot out out of the dust cloud, gripping his throat so tight, his red armour cracked like plastic.

As the dust began to dissipate, two glowing eyes became visible, and a voice emanated.

"_**Who do you think you're looking at, brat?"**_

The cloud was blown away in its entirety as the figure within emerged from it.

"HACHIMAN!" I couldn't help but cry out in relief, but my voice faded when I saw what had happened to him.

His skin had hardened over and turned grey, almost rocklike, with countless small striations all over it. His teeth were bared in a look of absolute fury, and his eyes resembled glowing furnaces. Whatever power was inside them was glowed from within, visible through the tiny cracks that ran from his eyes over his face.

"**You're still alive, how-"**, the armoured figure began to croak, only for the grip around his neck to tighten even further, silencing him.

"**Silence, worm."**

Lifting him off the ground, he slammed him back-first right into it, with enough force to form a crater.

"Issei!" The dark haired girl attempted to interfere, but Hachiman turned around, and beams of energy shot out of his eyes, right at her. She was blasted back by them. Without paying her any further heed, he began to pound away at the armoured figure, each punch sounding like a jackhammer striking an anvil.

Except, the anvil was giving way.

Midway through, the other two girls tried to interfere, but Hachiman didn't turn around. Once more, beams of energy shot from his eyes, and this time, they _turned in mid air_, arcing towards their targets with unerring accuracy.

With no one else to interrupt, he grabbed the armoured helm, and ripped it clean off, revealing the face of the boy inside. He was bleeding from the mouth, face covered in bruises.

"**I'm letting you go this once. Approach Yumiko again, and there will be consequences. Attempt to track me down, and there will be consequences. If we meet again, I'll sentence you to the Life That is Death."**

Having said what he had to, he threw the boy at his companions, who barely managed to catch him.

Breathing heavily, he began to walk towards me. I rushed forward. The moment I was close enough, he fell forward, and I had to support him.

"Hachiman!" I couldn't stop my voice from cracking anymore, or my eyes from watering. "What have they done to you?"

"Not them", he managed to say. "This is the result of the power within me. A side effect of using a lot of it."

As he spoke, his skin began to revert to normal, as did his eyes. I noticed the burns he had suffered were gone, though he was still exhausted.

But despite that, I couldn't help the enormous feeling of relief at seeing him whole and well in front of me. He looked at me with the dead, fish eyes that I've come to like so much.

"This is enough excitement for today. What do you say we go home?"

I nodded, trying to smile, though my lips were trembling.

"Hachiman, please don't ever do something like that again."

In an attempt to reassure me, he brought a hand up to my cheek, but I could see it was a bravado. He was exhausted, shaking, and barely conscious.

I held onto it tight, and turned towards the ones who had forced him to do this to himself. I know Hachiman had attacked first. But I also know for a fact that he would never pick a fight unless there was good reason. Judging by the abilities they had displayed here, there was something at work here that I didn't understand. Hachiman had said things were about to get dangerous. He knew these people were bad news.

They had taken damage as well. The red armour the kid was wearing had disappeared. All of them were conscious, but heavily bruised, barely standing.

"Stay away", I said to them, with every ounce of venom I could muster. "Stay the fuck away from us."

The red-haired girl looked like she wanted to say something, but the kid who had been wearing the armour stopped her.

"That's all right", he said. "We'll keep our distance from now."

Allowing Hachiman to lean on me, I helped as we both made our way past them to his apartment. 

**Post chapter scene, Issei's POV: **

"I can't believe he was able to break the Red Dragon's armoured form", Rias said. We were at the clubroom again, and I was lying on a bed we'd managed to get in there, recovering from the fight.

"It's not surprising", I said in a quiet voice. "Ddraig said there's someone inside him as well. Someone old, and extremely powerful. He called her Omega."

She looked at me in concern.

"You called him a 'Force of Universal Entropy'. Was that her you were talking to through him?"

"That was Ddraig speaking through me to her."

"Force of Universal Entropy", she muttered, contemplating the words over. "She's not a devil or an angel. Something else. Something strong enough to take on the Red Dragon and win… what sort of game have we gotten ourselves into? What sort of entities are we dealing with here?"

I sat up slightly, and I felt everyone in the room shift their attention on to me.

"I don't know who else we'll run into in this battle royale. But I do know this: that Hikigaya person… is not a bad guy. That girl with him… I think he called her Yumiko. She really believes in him, and her eyes didn't look like someone who was being deceived or controlled. And he was fighting to protect her, I could see that. For some reason, he thought we were a threat to her. It doesn't matter what sort of entity he has inside him. Anybody who inspires that sort of trust… anybody who'd go that far to protect someone… can't be a bad person."

"We were told _he _was the threat. Does this mean… we're all being played?"

That wasn't a possibility I was fond of, but it was one I had to acknowledge. Hikigaya was proof that not everyone we would run into here would be evil. That meant we needed to find out more about just what the hell was going on here. 


	10. Chapter 10

**The Pain Only The Strong Feel- 3**

**Hachiman's POV:**

_**Hey. You listening? Wake up.**_****

I ignored the voice, and turned away from the speaker, hoping she'd take the hint and let me lie here a little longer.

_**So that's how it's going to be, huh?**_

Once more, I gave no reply. For this to work, she had to think I was sleeping.

_**Okay. Don't say I didn't warn you. Now, where'd I put the operating table?**_****

Immediately, I sat up straight.

_Why do you have an operating table? And how did you bring it into my mind anyway?_

Standing in front of me, hands on her hips, a satisfied smirk on her face, was an incurable sadist. This incurable sadist happened to be a universal force of destruction who was living inside my body. What that meant was that she was able to appear in my mind in very vivid visions. Normally, I'd love to be able to see a hot woman that clearly in my head. But in her case, her incredible beauty was counterbalanced by how incredibly dangerous she was.

_**Eh? We're in your mindspace. Anything I can imagine exists here. Operating table, leather suits-**_

I recoiled in horror.

_Stop, stop. What kind of perversions are you talking about? This isn't that sort of story!_

She pouted.

_Stop making that expression. No matter how cute you look, we are not going down that route._

Looking incredibly disappointed, she sighed.

_**Ah well. At least you're conscious. Now would be a good time to wake up, by the way. You've been asleep for six hours. **_

_Six hours?!_

In a flash, the memories of what had transpired in the morning came to me. Running into that rival Protagonist and his friends, the battle that had ensued, and drawing on Omega's power for the first time.

As if sensing what I was thinking about (which, as a matter of fact she was), Omega spoke.

_**If it makes you feel any better, we synched quite well for a debut effort. As a matter of fact, there weren't any glaring compatibility issues at all. You might even say… we were a perfect fit.**_

Coming closer, she straddled my mental self, placing muscular, toned thighs on both sides of my legs as she wrapped her arms around my back and pulled me closer. Certain high priority parts were in contact with each other, and all of a sudden, the beauty began to take precedence over the danger. I gulped nervously.

Omega was different than any human I'd seen. Her face and features did not match those of any ethnicity belonging to Earth, giving her an ethereal appeal that clashed wonderfully with how suggestive her speech and body language were. At the moment, her milky white irises were locked right on to me. It was a uniquely unnerving feeling. She was already inside my mind, and right now, it felt like she was looking into my soul as well. I was reminded, that for all her flirtatiousness and interest in human affairs, she was an _extremely_ powerful entity, who had been around for billions of years.

_**It's a shame, then, that you fight like a weakling.**_

To my intense surprise, those words cut much deeper than I had expected. Because of how alien Omega was, her expressions could be hard to read unless she deliberately exaggerated them to be evident. I finally understood what that look on her face was.

Disappointment.

It occurred to me that a nigh-omnipotent entity is not used to fights ending in ties, especially after taking as much damage as we did. And all that had happened because of me. Omega had lent me her power, with no reason to do so. She deserved better in return.

Unable to look her in the eye, I apologized, my voice barely above a whisper.

_Sorry._

No sooner had the word left my mouth than she grabbed my jaw with near-crushing force and turned my head to look up and face her.

_**Apologies are worthless. **_

My eyes widened. Somewhere in the vastness of my mind, a tiny scene from the past played out, in which I had said that it was impossible for everything to be solved by communication. Arrogant on the part of both listener and speaker. My own ideology came to strike me with brutal force. Does apologizing automatically solve things? Make things better?

I was about to lose myself in a familiar loop of self-reflection and deprecation, when the grip around my jaw tightened further. Omega wasn't done speaking.

She pulled my face closer, until our lips were mere centimetres apart.

_**Don't be sorry. Be better.**_

I could only stare at her. That one line held all the meaning in the world. Apologizing doesn't solve problems. Solving problems does.

She was giving me a second chance.

That was such a rare thing. I could count on one hand the number of people who had given me that. For her to do so…

_I will_.

I said the words with determination.

She continued to hold on to my jaw for a moment, before relenting.

_**Why do you think we took that much damage**__?_****

I thought back to the fight.

_I got distracted, and it affected our action-taking-_

_**No.**_

She looked me right in the eye.

_**You were indeed distracted, but that was not the root cause of what happened. You must ask yourself: why were you distracted? Why did we not win decisively, despite possessing superior strength, speed, durability and power? **_

Once again, I looked back to what had happened. I knew Omega's words were true. She had more than enough power for us to have ended the fight the instant it began. But we had drawn it out. As a matter of fact, we had only used enough of our strength to equally match our opponents. And the reason for that was…

_Because I was holding us back._**  
**  
There was silence for a moment, as Omega allowed me to contemplate the fact that I had just stated. It was true that she was the one controlling our movements, but she wasn't controlling _everything._ She had trusted me with setting our objectives, and deciding how much power to use. In addition, my mental state had affected our efficiency too.

_**We have power. More than you can imagine. Much more. You fear losing yourself to it. Fear that you might cause pain to others. But you must realise: one who has great power does great harm when he fears it. Embrace your power, and believe in yourself. You are fighting to protect those important to you. Let that goal give you strength and purpose. **_

I drank in every word she said. I don't often ask for advice, or accept it even when it is freely given, but this was different. When a universal being offers you wisdom, you take it.

_I won't be indecisive next time._

She nodded in approval.

_**You still have a long way to go, but you have a heart. You can get there. And for now, you really ought to be waking up. You have a girlfriend who's sitting next to you, worried sick. You better make it up to her, or we'll have words.**_****

With that, I was jolted into consciousness. I blinked. Above me was the ceiling of my bedroom.

"Hachiman?"

I turned my head to look at the woman who had been sitting by my side all this time. _I told her not to call any doctors, didn't I?_

Her eyes were rimmed with red and her hair was dishevelled. She was tightly clutching her phone in her hand, and I realised she must have been on the verge of calling for help, given how long I had been unconscious.

I was about to utter my normal greeting, but I decided against it. Right now, more than anything, she needed reassurance, and answers. Hoping that I wouldn't get punched in the face, I reached out and hugged her. For a moment, she remained stiff, but then, she squeezed back. She was shaking, and I could hear her muffled sobs.

"I owe you an explanation about a lot of things."

I could feel her nod her head.

"Yeah. You do," she said.

We broke the embrace, and I swung my legs off the bed and got to my feet. I was wearing the same trousers I had on when I left, but my upper body was bare. I felt completely fine, and inspecting myself, found no trace of the injuries I had sustained earlier. Omega was capable of regeneration and healing, it seemed.

I looked at Yumiko.

"A lot of this is going to sound impossible. But after what you saw earlier today, I think you'll agree when I say that that word needs to be used less often."

She nodded, waiting for me to go on.

Taking a deep breath, I began to tell my story, starting with the part where the guy from another dimension awakened my Trait. Yumiko remained silent as I spoke, not interrupting me once.

It took me a while to cover all of it, including meeting Haruno, levelling up and gaining my powers… and having Omega inside me. I omitted that last part, because what I had said so far was complicated enough without the idea of personified energies inhabiting human bodies.

When I was done, she spoke in a perfectly even voice.

"So you're telling me you have some kind of power that makes you a magnet for women, and is definitely going to bring you into contact with a bunch of other girls you used to know in school. And oh, there's also the tiny matter of how you've probably used that power on me."

"Yumiko, you know-"

"Oh yeah, and the bit where you conveniently decided I didn't need to know any of this. Although that makes perfect sense if you have been using some kind of weird hypnosis on me."

"I haven't used anything of the sort-"

A stinging pain registered on my cheek. I saw the blow coming from a mile away, but I'd earned it, and made no effort to escape it.

"I trusted you, Hachiman."

I felt a jolt in my heart when she said that, but I wasn't able to bring myself to respond. Her reaction was entirely justified, and if she wanted nothing more to do with me from here on, I wouldn't have any right to ask her to stay.

She waited a while for an answer, and when she saw it wasn't coming, turned around and walked away.

_**What the hell are you doing?**_

Omega sounded furious; it was the first time she had shown any visible signs of anger in front of me.

_I messed up. She thinks being with me now is a danger to her free will, and to be honest, it is-_

_**Are you completely retarded? **___

_What?_

_**Idiot. Jerk. Asshole.**_

_What am I supposed to do?_

_**You're supposed to go after her! Go after her right now! She wants you to show that you haven't been messing with her, that everything so far has been real! You have any idea how badly she wants you to prove that you are the person she thought you are, and not some sick freak who was controlling her?**___

_What if I have been controlling her though? Without even meaning to? The Protagonist trait acts on its own. It's not something I use deliber-_

_**You really are completely retarded. Is anybody listening? I want a change of host.**_

All of the helplessness, frustration and guilt I was feeling burst out, and I found myself shouting at Omega mentally. _****_

_NOTHING YOU'RE SAYING IS MAKING ANY SENSE!_

_**THAT'S BECAUSE YOU AREN'T USING YOUR BRAIN! THINK FOR A SECOND: WHO HERE HAS SPENT CENTURIES IN THE BODY OF SOMEONE WHO LITERALLY SPENT EVERY DAY RESEARCHING HOW TO CONTROL PEOPLE AND TAKE AWAY THEIR FREE WILL?**_

My jaw dropped open. I could not believe this wasn't the first thing I thought of when I found out Omega was a living being. She had all of her memories and knowledge from the time she had spent with Darkseid. Darkseid, who just happened to be the multiverse' foremost expert on removing free will.

Omega would have known instantly if my Protagonist Trait was somehow messing with Yumiko. And that gave me a small sliver of hope. But I still needed to ask. Needed to be sure.

_Is she truly unaffected by my Trait?_

_**Yes. Your so-called Protagonist Trait is a metahuman power that works on a causality scale. In essence, when someone falls for you, it's as if they were destined to fall for you from the start, and that destiny will only lead them to an ending that has you in it. But for some reason, your girlfriend is immune to it. I don't quite know how, yet, but your Trait has zero effect on her. It's as if… there's something stronger inside her, that's constantly fighting it off. **_

It was at this moment that I once again remembered that I had only truly begun to know Yumiko during the brief period of time when my Trait wasn't online. Maybe that's why, what we had was indeed genuine… and strong enough to overcome some sort of cliched plot-induced infatuation.

_I have to go after her._

_**Damn right you do! Get moving!**_

The entire mental conversation had taken only a few seconds, and Yumiko had only just made it to the door of my flat when I caught up to her. Reaching out, I grabbed her wrist as she made to leave.

She didn't turn around.

"Let go."

"Not until you've heard what I have to say."

She pulled her arm free.

"And what exactly do you have to say? Some kind of bullshit excuse or reasoning like you used to spout all the time? Why would I believe anything that comes out of your mouth anyway?"

She glared at me with fire in her eyes.

"My Protagonist Trait doesn't affect you, Yumiko."

"Of course. Because it _conveniently _stopped working the day I stayed over."

I took a deep breath.

"As far fetched as that is, that's the truth. I've never attempted to control you against your will, and won't start now."

I held her gaze. This was the only thing I could do.

"Then let me go."

All I could do was stare. Her words struck me like a thunderbolt, and I felt a sinking feeling in my heart. This is a choice that is always available in a relationship, and one that I had once asked her about. I remembered the reply she had given me then.

"_If that were to happen, I know that you're possibly the only person in the world I trust to genuinely care about someone enough to walk away from them, even if it hurts you." _

I let my hands drop.

Saying nothing, I looked at her, then at the door. There were a billion things I wanted to say. I wanted to beg and plead. Scream and rage. But they would all have been shallow gestures. Everything hurt, in a way it hadn't for years, since high school ended and I gave up on all this to settle for an ordinary life, far from hope, and the pain that comes with it.

"Go", I said, looking down. I couldn't bear to look at her.

For a moment, she drew in a sharp breath, as if she wanted to say something, but turned around and left, closing the door behind her.

Now that she was gone, I slumped against the wall and slowly slid down to sit on the floor.

From the beginning, I'd wanted to look for a way out of this whole nonsense. I'd wanted to find a way to preserve their right, and mine, to choose. With at least one person, I'd succeeded. If success is the key to happiness, I should have been ecstatic at the moment. Why, then, did I feel so horrible? Like everything good had just walked out of my life?

Even in the despair I was in, there was no time to wallow. I heard a ringing from the bedroom, and realised it must be my cellphone. I allowed the tone to play twice before I got and made my way over to pick up. Checking the Caller ID revealed it was Haruno. Receiving the call, I brought the receiver to my ear and waited for the usual teasing greeting.

However, it didn't come. When three seconds passed and there was nothing but silence, I knew something was wrong. Haruno wasn't careless enough to pocket dial, and she definitely wasn't the kind to do prank calls. I strained my ears, and was able to make out the muffled sounds of heavy impacts coming from the other end of the line.

_Something's going on, wherever she is!_

Putting everything else out of my mind, I called on Omega.

_We have a problem._

_**So I heard.**_

With unspoken agreement, she began sharing her power with me, and I used it to modify the cell phone I was holding in my hand, reshaping the material into different tech, which could be used to track down the location from which received signals were sent.

The former phone, transformed now into a tracker, revealed that Haruno's phone was somewhere on the outskirts of Chiba. I realized that the reason for this must be because she was in an estate, which covered a large area and thus couldn't be placed somewhere within the more densely populated, urban centres.

_I know Darkseid could fly. Can you do the same for me?_

_**Unnecessary. I can teleport us there directly.**_

_Do it._

**Haruno's POV (ten minutes earlier):**

It's about time for the Yuuki fellow to arrive. I'm hoping to wrap this up quickly. Several of the Protags are fighters, or smart enough to know what sort of a build they want, but he isn't one of them. Conflict is alien to his nature, which is strange considering the fact that his everyday life is full of aliens fighting all around him.

The bell rang downstairs. _That must be him._ I quickly Scryed the scene outside the door, and saw that it was indeed a brown haired boy who seemed to be around high school age. He'd come alone. _Strange. I would've thought his companions would offer to come with him, given how dangerous it is for him to be going out by himself. _

Making my way to the entrance hall, I opened the main door and allowed him to enter the mansion.

"You're fairly punctual, Yuuki kun. That's good", I said brightly, once more putting on the mask I wear in front of outsiders. Of course, I kept my eyes on him while I did so. The gesture was not randomly thrown out there. The fact that he'd come here alone was suspicious, and I was trying to fish for a reaction and find out what was going on.

To my surprise, he did not get flustered or lose his footing, which would have been par for the course by now. I immediately realized that the person in front of me… could not be Yuuki Rito.

"Of course, Yukinoshita san. It wouldn't do to keep you waiting after all", he said smoothly.

_Definitely not him._ I subtly prepared to fry him alive with lightning the moment he tried anything funny. But for now, it would be better to see what information I could get out of him. At the moment, I didn't know who or _what_ he was, what his goals were, whether those goals were his own or whether he was working for someone else.

Before I could get to work on that, however, the doorbell rang a second time. _There wasn't anyone else supposed to turn up today!_

Judging by the way the impostor Yuuki had gone stiff, he wasn't expecting anyone else to be here right now either.

Carefully, not losing track of his movements, I reached over and opened the door…

"Yukinoshita san! Sorry, I'm a little late", panted an out-of-breath voice that was exactly identical to that of the other visitor currently standing in the hall.

I stared with wide eyes at the _actual _Yuuki Rito, who was standing outside, sheepishly rubbing his head, with the pink-haired Deviluke sister named Momo by his side.

_What?_

The two of them walked in, with Momo telling him to take it easy, since they weren't late by more than a few minutes. As soon as they were in the hall, they froze up, once they saw who else was there.

A tense moment followed, before all hell broke loose.

Long strands of what appeared to be slimy flesh shot out of the false Yuuki, pinning the real one to the wall, along with Momo. A similar strand shot towards me, but I was able to dodge it. Flipping in the air, I gained distance from him and landed on the upper level overlooking the hall.

"What the hell are you?" I asked.

The thing looked nothing like a human anymore. More like a mutated blob that just happened to have two main legs and arms and a trunk. Its head was covered in several eyes that twitched and turned quickly, keeping all of us in sight.

"You don't need to know", it replied, in a voice that was eerily still that of Yuuki.

Once more, a spiked tail shot out of him as his shape changed, heading straight towards me.

This time, I decided to take it head on. Utilizing the Telekinesis ability I had gained, I stopped it before it could reach me.

"You're dirtying the hall. I'm afraid I'll have to disinfect the entire place now."

I raised my hand, and lightning arced forth from it, electrifying the creature with several thousand volts. It twitched violently, burning, as boils erupted on its flesh. The sight was disgusting, but at least it was finished now.

Or so I thought, until a burning tentacle knocked out the pillar supporting the upper level I was standing on, causing it to collapse.

_Damn it!_

I landed badly, only surviving the damage from the debris on top of me because I had maxed out my vitality stat.

_This is not good… It's stronger than it looks. _

At the other end of the hall, both Yuuki and Momo were still pinned, their entire bodies covered in whatever substance the creature was made of, except their heads, rendering them unable to move and escape or fight back.

_We need help here…_

Pulling my cell phone out of my pocket, I dialled a number I had on speed dial, while dashing out of the way to avoid getting hit by another tentacle.

In the process, the phone dropped from my hand.

_Damn it! _

It was too risky to try and retrieve it now, but the call should have gone through. As long as he received it, there was a chance.

As I was thinking this, I did not notice that the creature had been surreptitiously transferring part of his malleable flesh to a second body of sorts, and was now in position to double team me. Before I could react, coils wrapped around me, sealing away my movement.

**Hachiman's POV: **

I arrived at the approximate location from which we had received the call. Omega deliberately teleported us a slight distance away, so that we would be able to gauge the situation before jumping in. We were already in synch, with her power flowing through me, and I was levitating above the treeline, looking at the Yukinoshita mansion.

What must have been a splendid building was now covered almost entirely in some of strange organic substance that absolute stank, and parts of the structure were on fire.

Somewhere inside that mess was Haruno. Was she still alive? Or was she…

No. Now was no time to get carried away.

I sharpened my focus, pushing out all irrelevant thoughts.

_My task is to find her and get her out of there._

_**What about those who get in our way?**_

_Crush them without mercy. I won't hold back this time. _****

The limitless power of Omega coursed through my being, and I sensed her approval. This time, I was focused.

With our minds in synch, we flew towards the mansion.

As we neared the place, Omega reached out. Telepathy was another of our abilities, and we were using it, to search for signs of life in the organic deathtrap in front of us.

_**Four presences found. The one called Yukinoshita Haruno is in there. So are the boy and girl you encountered earlier today.**_****

Since I was sensing everything she was, I knew who she was talking about. It was the clumsy MC from the cafeteria earlier, and the girl who had confronted me, Deviluke.

_We ignore them._ _Our job is to get Haruno out of there. The others are none of my concern._

For the briefest moment, Omega paused.

_**You are more like Darkseid than I thought. **_****

I ignored that statement.

_**Presences approaching from the east.**_

_I feel them._

More minds had registered to our telepathic senses, and presently, moving quickly, and presently, they appeared in front of us.

One of them was a pink haired girl in a strange outfit reminiscent of what one might see in magical girl shows, with black wings. I realized she must be a Deviluke as well, judging by how similar she looked to her sister. _This is the inventor?_

The other was the archetypical gothic lolita, complete with blonde hair, leather outfit, skirt, and feathery wings. She was glaring at me with cold, emotionless eyes.

They spoke to each other.

"He's the one. The dark energy I sense is coming from him. It's the same energy we felt earlier", said Deviluke.

"Then he's the one resp-"

Ignoring their words, I flew right past them, heading for the mansion. I was more than fast enough that they looked like a slow motion version of an already slow motion clip to me, and I had more important issues to deal with.

_The organic matter… all of it is alive, and connected to the other presence we feel in there. It's savage and bloodthirsty, but intelligent. And it's following orders. Orders that are absolute to it._

_**The pattern is similar to that observed in hiveminds. This one is just a grunt. He's received his orders from the hive ruler, and the thread in his mind leads back to it. **_****

_We will reduce him to a manageable size, then follow that thread._

Once the two of us came to that conclusion, we fired the Omega Beams at the mass of flesh below us.

The very air crackled with the terrifying power as it rushed through it, striking its target.

Omega's abilities were beyond anything conceivable to mortal minds. Linked to her, I could guide her, and she could reshape matter, living or otherwise, at will.

This we did, erasing the vast majority of the abomination's body, leaving only a small lump where we sensed the brain was.

Following that up, we extinguished the flames consuming the building, before descending to ground level.

Behind us, we could sense the astonishment of the two girls who had made their entrance after me.

"Just like that?!"

"How?!"  
The main door was still intact but we punched it in as if it were cardboard, entering the house.

_**There.**_

Haruno was lying further ahead, face down, unconscious. We quickly levitated to her. The surviving part of the monstrosity was attached to her, an insect like form that had latched on to the back of her neck.

_Haruno is the reason this thing came here. The hive ruler instructed it to come here and capture her. We've destroyed too much of his tissue for him to have enough strength to control her, but he's decided to latch onto her brain through her spinal cord. He's probably using her as a bargaining chip, telling us that attempting to kill him will result in her death. Buying time to recover, so that he can continue his mission._

_**An ignorant being, to be sure. How about we rid him of his misconception?**_

**The Replicant's POV:**

I've managed to latch on to the ssssslut's brain. There'ssss no way they can touch me now. Pathetic humanssss. Ssso overly attached to each other. Guided by their emotionsss. Preditable.

I was sssurprised by how ssstrong this glowing-eyed one is. Managed to destrooooy most of my body instantly. But he made a missstake. Left me alive. Laasssst mistake you'll make, human.

I'll leach this bitch's brain fluids… and take over her body. It'll take a few daysss… And you'll have no choice but to watch her suffer.

Hahahaha-

Wait. W-what's going on?

I feeeel… like someone's inside… my mind! But that's impossible!

The feeling continues to grow, and every fffibre in my being explodes.

I…. I can't feel them!

Can't feel my pincers! My feeding tubes! My digestive system.

I CAN'T FEEL ANYTHING!

My body! The bitch! I can't feel anything! Where am I? There's only darkness here… No… I have no eyes….

What is light? I can't remember!

I CAN'T REMEMBER!

HELP!

HEEEELPP!

There's only an endless dark here… and _him._

Only him… the eyes are everywhere… he is everywhere… larger than the universe…

_**There is no hope. **___

Help.

_**There is no light.**_

Help.

_**There is no salvation.**_

Please stop!

_**Your entire hive will burn for eternity. **__  
_  
STOP IT! KILL ME! KILL ME NOW!

_**There is no life. No death. Only Darkseid.**_

****

**Hachiman's POV:**

We'd initially thought to keep the being's brain intact, but Omega quickly informed me this was unnecessary. With her power, we could erase him from existence completely, while assimilating any data that he possessed. If we so desired, we could take his soul as well, and trap it in eternal torment. This was a bit extreme for my tastes, but we did give him one parting nightmare before sending him on his way to the afterlife. A little gift for daring to touch someone I considered important.

Cautiously, we raised Haruno off the ground, cradling her in our arms.

_**She's unconscious. Given how that creature infiltrated her brain, it's likely she is in a coma even after we removed him.**_

_Her brain doesn't seem to be damaged on the surface._

_**The damage could be psychological. Her mind would have shut down to prevent further hurt. **_

Anger burned within me, but I kept it in check. Now was the time to save her, not think about revenge.

_Omega… can we save her?_

For the first time, the deity sounded unsure.

_**With telepathy, we can enter her mind. But whether or not we'll be able to truly reach her is uncertain.**_

_We have to try._

As we were having this discussion, the now conscious rival MC and his companions made their way over to us.

"Hey", said the younger Deviluke sister. "Is she all right?"

I turned to look at them. This was one time I absolutely did not want to deal with any distractions or interruptions. Fortunately, none of them looked like they wanted to trouble me for the moment.

"No, she isn't", I answered curtly. Hoping they'd get the message and leave, I turned around and prepared to teleport us back to my apartment.

"Wait!" said the elder Deviluke.

I glared at her.

"We don't want to fight", she clarified quickly. "I think we all got off on the wrong foot. You helped save Momo and Rito, so I want to help you in turn."

I looked into her earnest, guileless eyes. It didn't take telepathy to know that she wasn't lying or trying to trick me.

"Thanks for the offer, but I doubt even you can help, inventor princess."

"Don't count Onee sama out so easily", said the short haired girl.

I looked at them, staring at me with those earnest, and in a way, innocent eyes. It occurred to me that they were all young. Younger than me physically, and definitely mentally.

"I don't have time for this. Every moment I waste, she slips closer to the edge. If you really want to help, take up positions around my house, make sure no one gets through, especially not some asshole wearing red armour."

It was a compromise I had arrived at. I was the only one who could enter Haruno's mind, and I didn't need any distractions at hand while I was doing this. At the same time, these kids wouldn't stop pestering me till I gave in. So I decided to let them help in a way that would satisfy them, and not get in my way.

Enthusiastically, they nodded, even the emotionless blonde one, who did so as well, though her expression remained deadpan.

"Get next to me then. I'll teleport us all there." 

Soon after, we were at my flat.

Carefully, I laid Haruno down on the bed.

She was breathing gently, and had a pulse, but otherwise showed no sign of being alive.

I sensed Omega was trying to draw my attention. She wanted to say something.

_What is it?_

_**I- I won't be able to enter her mind with you. My psychic self is too vast. Too powerful. Humans can't handle it. It's a miracle you're even still alive with me inside you.**_

_So I'll have to go alone?_

She paused for a moment before answering. When she did, it was with the tone of someone who was saying something that would be difficult to accept.

_**That's not all. What you're about to attempt is different from telepathic communication. A psychic projection of you is about to enter a different mindspace entirely. For someone like you, who isn't used to it, there's a very real chance you'll lose your sense of self. If… if that happens, you'll be destroyed. Unable to stay in Haruno's mindspace, or return to your own.**_

I said nothing. Looking down, I saw that Haruno's face was peaceful. She might have been sleeping. It was an incredible contrast from the woman I had come to know during high school, who I had always perceived as the epitome of invincible. Strong, smart, confident, she had all the qualities anyone could want. She had always been full of life, purpose and energy. Too much so. Many times, she had been the source of my discomfiture. Once I had become a little older, I realized that in her own way, she must have been trying to help her sister grow up.

In that way, at least, we were alike. Incurable sis-cons.

In spite of myself, and everything that had happened, I found myself smiling slightly. Had I actually grown fond of her?

_Yeah, right. That'll be the day._

But I did know for sure, that few things were as tragic as seeing a tiger that has had her claws taken away, turned into a shadow and a shell of her former self. Seeing her like this was _wrong._

I took a deep breath. I could do this. Sacrificing myself to get the job done was my speciality, wasn't it?

_Omega… if I'm destroyed, you'll be free to do as you like anyway. Even so, I'm leaving my body to you. If I can't come back, make it your own vessel, and live for once on your own terms, free. I'm absolutely certain I can wake Haruno up._

_This next part is just a selfish request, but watch over them all. Don't let them get hurt. Especially… her. Please. _

_**What the hell sort of parting speech is that supposed to be? You think that martyr stuff impresses me?**_

Even more than the last time, Omega was furious.

_**Let me make one thing clear to you. I don't have any reason to give a damn about any of them. What makes you think I can live in this vessel alone anyway? My priority here is YOU. If, at any point, I feel you can't make it out, I'm going to go in there and get you out, even if it means killing her.**_

_**Remember that. Dying is not an option. You want to save her? Do that damn job right, and make sure you come back alive.**_

I blinked in surprise.

_For a supposedly immortal being, you're very human._

_**S-shut up! Go on and get this over with already!  
**_

_All right._

**Post chapter scene:**

**Yumiko's POV: **

I ran all the way home, not looking back even once. This was the logical thing to do, right? If he was controlling me, if he'd ever done something like that, then I needed to stay away from him.

But nothing had stopped me. When I had turned and left his flat. No invisible force, no presence in my head forcing my muscles to run back to him. Nothing. Not even him asking me to stay.

I'd done the right thing, hadn't I?

Then why did I feel like I'd just made a horrible mistake?

I shut myself in my room, going up there quickly to avoid running into my parents. _  
_

Once inside, I cried uncontrollably. No matter what I did, the tears wouldn't stop.

_What was I thinking? He's been the exact opposite of controlling all this time._

A bunch of images flashed in my head, from the week we'd spent together. Not once during that time had I felt obligated to do anything, or pretend to be something I was not. I found myself thinking of all his weird habits, which I'd noted. They'd been surprising at first, but I'd grown used to them. He had no charming smile, only an awkward one which he would avoid showing, probably because he was afraid of how it looked. He had no idea of how to act around girls, so he'd resort to a sort of formal politeness instead. And above all, he had no idea how to solve anything with tact, and no expectations from anyone around him. I remember wanting to ask him why that was. Why he was so afraid to trust people, even though he could put himself on the line for them without blinking.

He was everything the ideal man was not supposed to be. And I liked every bit of it.

Picking up the phone, I dialled his number, and waited for the call to go through. After a moment of silence, a recorded voice spoke.

_The number you are trying to dial does not exist._

The phone dropped from my hand.

"Hachiman…" 


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's note (IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ)**

All right. So, this chapter. It's very, VERY experimental. This will be the only chapter of its kind in this fic, so if any of you don't like it, don't worry. I also hope this won't alienate any of you or make you stop reading this. The vast majority of it takes place inside Haruno's mind, where Hachiman is trying to bring her out of the coma inflicted by the Replicant. This could have been a standard "male protagonist gets closer to female lead by living her memories" chapter, but I wanted to put my own spin on it while still making something that has impact.****

**The Pain Only the Strong Feel- 4**

**Haruno's POV:**

Slowly, cautiously, I peeked out from under my cover, making sure not to make any noise. I couldn't see any feet within my field of vision, and hadn't heard anyone open the door either, meaning I was alone in this room. I laid my head to the ground and listened for footsteps, trying to make out if anyone was coming this way. I couldn't hear anything, but I daren't stay exposed for any longer, so I quietly slipped back under the bed, where I was hiding. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. Any moment, I could be discovered, and it would be over. This thrill was one of the things that made this game so much fun for me.

The slightest of vibrations sent a jolt of electricity through my body, alerting me that someone was outside the door. I held my breath. The slightest sound could give my presence away. _Creeaaaak. _With exquisite slowness, the door opened. Who was it? Kyoko? Or someone else? It was impossible to tell, and I did not want to risk peeking again. Then, the person began to move inside the room, and their feet came into view. Tiny feet, even smaller than mine.

Crawling forward, I came out from my hiding place.

"Yukino!" I whispered urgently.

"Nee chan", replied the girl in front of me, her eyes lighting up adorably. Unlike me, Yukino kept her hair slightly longer, and it would trail down her back in a smooth waterfall-like curtain. I was slightly envious of how she had hair like that, but found it impossible to hold it against her.

"Don't just stand there! You'll be seen! And close the door!"

Crawling all the way out, I got to my feet and rushed over to the said door, closing it as silently as I could.

"Get under the bed, quick! Kyoko could come here any moment!"

"Aaah!"

Spurred on by my words, she lay down and slid under cover, and I followed suit. Together, the two of us waited. My heart was beating even faster now. As silent as I'd tried to be while closing the door, the latch had made a bit of a noise, so I was sure someone was on their way.

Sure enough, within moments, the floor vibrated, indicating footsteps. They stopped right outside the room we were in, and I waited for whoever it was to come in. A tense silence followed, then the footsteps resumed, indicating they had moved on. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Nee chan, can we go somewhere else? I'm starting to get itchy down here."

It was a justified complaint. The underside of the bed was quite dusty, and even I was suffering from the same problem as her. I nodded, and began to make my way out, only for the door to open.

"AAAAAAHHHHH!"

"AAAAAAAAHHHH!"

I was so surprised, I couldn't help but let out a scream. Of course, hearing me do so surprised Yukino, who in turn reacted the same way.

The figure who had entered calmly waited for us to finish our exclamations, standing with her hands on her hips. When we were done, she spoke.

"Haruno, you're covered in dust. How many times have I told you to be more mindful of yourself and not get under the furniture? And Yukino, you come out as well."

She did as she was told, and side by side, we looked up at Kyoko.

The woman had a lined and slightly wrinkled face, and could be stern at times, but was remarkably kind. She was with us almost all the time, and had been for as long as I could remember, taking care of all our needs. Both Yukino and I were extremely fond of her. Sometimes, we'd get bored and start impromptu games where we'd hide, but she would always find us, seemingly with no effort.

"Come on, both of you. Go take your bath now, and make sure you don't take too long. We'll be having someone over today, so make sure you're presentable."

"Okaaaay!" we answered in unison as we followed her.

It didn't take us very long to bathe and put on clean clothes, and as Kyoko carefully groomed her hair, I couldn't help but ask her what was on my mind.

"Who's the guest?"

"He's… someone who will be staying here from now on."

"He'll be staying here from now?" Yukino asked, puzzled. "Why?"

"Hush. Don't ask so many questions," replied Kyoko. Since she usually encouraged questions and did her best to answer them, we took this as a cue to not push the matter. I thought I heard her mutter the word 'adopted', but I wasn't sure.

Soon, we were ready, and taken to the main hall. There, we waited with Kyoko and the other grown-ups. For some reason, I was eager to meet this new boy. I was curious what he would be like.

The bell rang, and the door was opened. Suzuki san, one of the grown-ups, entered. With him, at his side, was someone who could only be the boy we had been told about. He was rather small and scrawny, perhaps even smaller than me, and had untidy dark coloured hair that wasn't set in any specific way, instead falling in random bangs over his forehead. A particularly stubborn looking strand remained curiously standing and separate at the back. His clothes were nothing fancy, a nondescript pair of shorts and a t shirt. The most distinctive feature about him was his pair of eyes. Beady and glaring, they gave him a permanently annoyed look, though it was clear from his expression that he was more nervous than anything.

At a gesture from Suzuki san, he came forward with him, and the two of them stood in the centre of the hall, where we could all see them clearly. For a moment, no one said anything. Suzuki san coughed slightly, which I realised must be a way of telling him that was his cue.

He bowed, and spoke in a clear, but awkward voice.

"My name is Hikigaya Hachiman. I'll be living here from now on. Please take care of me."

From that day forth, he did indeed live in the estate with us. He went to the same school as Yukino and me, and attended lessons at home alongside the two of us. Although he slept in a separate wing of the mansion, he would join us at mealtimes. He was nothing like the two of us, yet nothing like the children we knew at school either. Unlike us, he lacked the "natural ability" the adults talked about all the time. I did not yet understand what that meant, but I noticed he was not as good at studies and sports as we were. In those areas, he was the same as any of my classmates, or Yukino's. But unlike them, he did not look at us with either admiration or envy. I didn't know if this was because he lived with us, and saw us everyday, or because that was simply how he was, but either way, it meant that he treated us the same as anybody else. He was not very well liked by the others, and apart from us, spoke very little to anyone at school. At home, he spent a lot of his time reading books by himself. In that respect, he was much like the two of us.

As time passed by, I found that we were spending more time with him. We soon discovered that he was not as taciturn as he appeared at first, nor was he averse to company. I was seven at the time. Yukino was five, as was he.

It was on one such day, when the three of us were together, that we were summoned to the main hall. It was our first time meeting my "parents". I had read the word before in books, an heard it spoken by others. I knew that Kyoko wasn't our mother. But until that day, I had not known any woman to step forward and claim that title for herself. Nor any man who would step forth and say he was our father. Prior to that fateful day, we had no parents, only the grown-ups who had been around us from the start, watching over us in their place.

Looking at the man and the woman now, I didn't feel anything. None of the warmth and closeness that I had heard the other children speak of when they talked about their parents, or which I saw in those moments when they came to pick them up from school.

"Haruno. Yukino. Hachiman. You have done well in our absence. We hope to see you continue to make excellent progress as the three of you grow up." 

That night, I was woken up by someone shaking me by the shoulder. With an effort, I opened my eyes, struggling to adjust to the bright flashlight that person was holding.

"Hachiman? What's going on?"

"Come with me," was all he said.

"Why? What? Where? It's the middle of the night. We should be sleeping."

"If you don't see her now, you'll regret it later", he said, in his usual blunt way.

On the bed next to mine, Yukino was stirring as well.

Carefully, the three of us made our way down the long hallways of the mansion, making sure to be silent. Hachiman led us downstairs, to a room I recognised as the one where Kyoko lived. Without waiting for an answer, he opened the door and walked in.

"Hachiman, you can't just walk in…"

My voice faded when I saw that the lights were on inside. Kyoko was sitting on her bed, packing up a suitcase with clothes and other possessions. When she noticed us, her eyes widened.

"What are you all doing out of bed at this hour? Go to sleep at once-"

"You didn't even tell us", interrupted Hachiman. "Why?"

I watched with bafflement and growing shock at what was happening.

She fell silent at his words, biting her lips, as if afraid to speak.

"You didn't think we at least deserved to know? To hear it from you, and not someone else? That you were leaving?"

I started at that, and took a step forward.

"Kyoko chan… you're leaving?" I said, my voice breaking.  
She looked at us, torn between remaining silent and speaking her heart. Ultimately, she chose to do the latter. Getting up, she walked towards us, and pulled Yukino and me into an embrace.

"I'm sorry", she said. "I don't want to leave. I never did. I wanted to tell you, but I was warned not to. And I was afraid: afraid that if I did, you would get used to me, and look for a way out."

Yukino was crying now, and so was I.

"You must be strong, both of you. Adults lie. Oftentimes, they will lie to comfort you. I don't want to be one of those adults. So I will tell you the truth. It is likely we will never meet again."

"N-never a-again?" I managed to choke out.

She nodded, holding me tighter.

"It hurts me as well. So I want you to remember, now and forever, that I will always love you. Both of you. I won't ask you not to cry. Not all tears are bad. Remember that as well."

The next morning, when we woke up, Kyoko was gone. We never saw her again. But I will always remember that we got to say goodbye, and the words she said to us. Those words will give me strength when I'm in need.

That same day, my parents told me that I would start attending extra lessons in preparation for the responsibilities I would one day assume in the family business. I would not be taking these lessons alone.

Hachiman would also be tutored alongside me, though his task for the future would be to assume an assisting role or that of a problem solver.

The years passed by, but they did not pass badly. Ever since I found out that Kyoko had been forced to leave by my parents, I had not trusted them. As a result, I never felt betrayed by anything they did. My lessons were gruelling, exhausting in every possible way, but I wasn't going through them alone. Hachiman was by my side. I finally understood what people meant when they spoke about natural ability. Everything that took me one try to get right took him at least three, but he never gave up.

"How do you get yourself to do it? Isn't it difficult, having to work so much harder than others?"

"What are you talking about?" he had replied. "Everyone else besides you has to work this hard. You're pretty much the only person who gets it right on the first try. And besides: most of us don't even think about that stuff. We're too busy trying to learn. Having to work for it is natural."

I had heard those words, and so had Yukino.

They gave me a newfound respect for the people around me. I had sometimes thought that the looks of envy we had gotten were purely out of malice. While plenty of people were malicious, there were also plenty who merely resented us because of how easily we were able to grasp the basics of a skill or concept. If this was how hard they had to constantly work, I could understand some of the reason behind their resentment, even though I knew it wasn't right.

When I was ten, some of the family's associates visited the estate on business. We were introduced to them. The Hayama's, as they were called, owned and operated the law firm that was partnered with our own company. They had brought their son with them. At eight years, Hayama Hayato was the same age as Yukino and Hachiman. He was polite and confident, outgoing and cheerful. Everything about him said that these qualities were admired in him, and encouraged. In different circumstances, I would have envied him the life he had; the freedom he had enjoyed, which had allowed him that optimistic smile.

But I did not.

It was evident indeed from the very first glance that he had enjoyed a freedom that had been denied to me. He had been given the chance to choose, from the outset, anything that would make him happy, and even been encouraged to do so.

It was precisely because of this that the smile he had was one born of naivete and innocence. It was the smile of one who did not know better. The smile of one who had not seen the injustices and unfairness of the world. One who who did not know that the adults who likely put him on a pedestal now would lie to him whenever convenient, and were probably doing so already.

In contrast, both Yukino and Hachiman had known hardship, as had I. Yukino and myself because Kyoko had been forced to leave, and because we knew what it was like to live in a family that felt no warmth towards us; Hachiman because apart from the two of us, he was shunned by all others, and only used as a convenient tool by my parents. None of us could smile without a hint of worry and doubt. But that was precisely why the times we smiled were precious. It was not a happiness born from not knowing, but one we had fought and gained _in spite_ of knowing. Something we had to constantly fight to hold on to.

Hayama continued to come from time to time, and due to a variety of reasons, the four of us ended up spending a lot of time together. In particular, he formed a closer bond with Yukino than either Hachiman or myself, probably because out of the three of us, she had the least reason to be averse to his surface-deep brightness.

Eventually, the two of them spent a period of time abroad in the states, which caused them to grow even closer. This became clear once they returned.

In the meantime, Hachiman and I stayed in Japan, where we continued to be trained to assume our future duties for the family business. By this time, I had learnt to trust him. It was a strange thing: in terms of natural ability, I far outstripped him. But through sheer effort, he was found a way to keep up with me, and the immense pressure placed on both of us in both academics and extracurriculars. Perhaps because he had to earn everything by paying for it with sweat and his own hard work, he exuded an aura of being dependable. I admired that part of him. If we had gone by "natural talent" alone, he would have been mediocre. The very fact that he was by my side instead of watching from a distance was proof that he put no stock in societal perceptions and classification, in meekly accepting his place rather than changing his world with his own hands. He also had an incredible ability to see things as they were, instead of a version distorted by expectation and delusion. He was well aware that no matter how good he got, he would never be anything more than a supporting character at best in the grand scheme of things. It must have been difficult reconciling that fiery drive to improve through effort with the acceptance that there were some things in life he would not even be considered for.

In a different world, I would have been alone. Separated from everyone around me by a wall made from difference in ability and expectation. Isolated. Eventually, I would have lost interest in reaching out and attempting to cross that wall once I realised it was impossible.

But this was not that world. Simply by being by my side, he was showing me that I was _not _alone. He was here with me. We learnt to depend on each other. I was the older of the two of us, and was correspondingly ahead in most things. Before he had arrived, I had had Yukino, who had followed me around, and who I'd taken care of as well as I could. But unlike with her, there was no need to worry about holding back with Hachiman. Despite the difference in age, he felt like an equal… like a friend. The first one I'd had.

As a result, by the time Yukino returned, the dynamic between the four of us had changed considerably. I felt like I knew Hachiman better than I did my own sister. I felt like I was seeing her for the first time.

Thus, I was able to see the danger signs early. Yukino had grown attached to the Hayama boy. While it was clear he saw her as a friend as well, it was evident the bond was stronger one way than it was the other. We all attended the same elementary school. It was at this point that Yukino began to experience more prominently the problem of eny.

With her smarts and looks, and her proximity to Hayama, who was getting more and more popular, she became a target for many of the girls in her class, as well as other classes. I had not suffered any similar problems, mainly because I was better at getting along with people, being able to read what they wanted.

Eventually, marginalization and alienation turned into ostracization and bullying. People started teasing Yukino for her supposed relationship to Hayama. There were also instances were her books would be hidden, or things from her locker would go missing.

It was after one of these days that, during a rare break from lessons, Hachiman and I were discussing that very issue. Earlier, Yukino had come back and gone straight to her room, unwilling to talk to anyone.

"This problem's getting worse," I said.

"Then fix it," Hachiman replied bluntly.

I raised an eyebrow.

"You think it's that easy?" I asked.

"I never said it was easy," he replied. "But it's definitely not complicated. Hayama is interested in keeping the people around him happy. He definitely won't choose her over his reputation."

"Then Yukino will have to move on. She'll have to learn to get strong, and fight back against those who push her around."

"You're expecting too much of her," he said softly. "She's younger than you, Haruno."

"You're younger than me as well," I replied, slightly more harshly than I wanted.

"And I can't do the things that you can. It's not just age. Not everyone is as strong as you are."

For a moment, those dead eyes of his looked incredibly sad. It was as if many years' worth of hard memories lay behind them, giving his words the weight of experience. It must have been a trick of the light. But he had succeeded in driving his point home.

"She's your sister, you know. You two may have grown apart, but that hasn't changed. Be better to her than your parents are to you."

The reminder of my parents hit me with all the force of a hammer.

I was burdening Yukino with expectations of her surpassing me, just like my parents had burdened me with expectations because of my abilities. If I left her to fend for herself, how was I any different from them?

That convinced me that I needed to act. That I needed to stop this from going in the direction that it was.

That night, I decided to visit Yukino in her room. Since she had skipped dinner, I brought a tray of food with me. Stopping outside, I knocked on her door.

"Yukino! Open up! I come bearing gifts. Food, to be precise."

No reply from within.

Frowning, I knocked again.

"Yukino! Come on. Open up!"

Another voice came from a little way down the corridor.

"Might want to put some more soul into it," he said.

"Shut up, Hachiman. I'm trying what I can here."

"It's cool," he said in loud and obviously Japanese-accented English, though we had both been given speaking lessons and could use both US and UK accents, and a relatively accent-neutral version too, if we wanted to.

"Did you come here just to poke fun of me? If you're not going to help, just go already."

"Oh, did you mean **help**? In other words, you're asking me to **help **you?"

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"If you speak another line of Engrish, I'm going to throw you down the stairs. No joke."

"Engrish is awesome", he said, in Japanese this time. "I'll have you know, Joseph Joestar is going to make it a worldwide trend a few years from now."

"Impossible," I hissed. "There's no way an anime can properly capture all the nuances of the manga."

"Trust me. I've seen the future. Stardust Crusaders is going to rock. And Diamond is Unbreakable is going to rock too…."

He raised his voice conspicuously.

"**Especially that part where Killer Queen dies. You know, that one feline Stand? What a shame. Dead because his User gets run over. Did you know that Stands and their Users share a bond where one feels the pain of the other-"**

_  
_The door banged open, revealing a furious Yukino.

"Hikicreep kun, you'll apologize right now to all the cats in the world."

Hachiman looked at me with the barest hint of a smirk, and might have winked once.

"Sure. I'm sorry. I'll leave the rest to you, Haruno," he said, walking away nonchalantly.

I watched him go with amazement.

_Did he just… use a Jojo reference as a door-opener?_

I shook my head. Either way, the door was open and Yukino was in front of me. Before she could shut it again, I walked into her room and placed the tray on the table before taking a seat on her bed.

_What am I supposed to say now?_

"_Hey, I'm sorry, but this boy that you like doesn't really care about you much? He's about to ditch you to save his own hide, but cheer up, you'll be OK if you ditch him first? Oh, and the bullying is about to get worse, no pressure?"_

I laughed mirthlessly inside. There was no tactful way to go about saying any of this. I was good at telling people what they wanted to hear, but only because I never really got involved with any of those people Never really cared about what they felt. I was able to look at them with detachment. It's different with Yukino.

_It's different… with Yukino?_

My eyes widened. When I was _really_ young, Yukino and I were together all the time. The question of "caring" about her never came up, because I could not imagine or think of a world where I _didn't_. As we both grew, and other people came into our lives, we began to learn how to think a little for ourselves. We weren't the only ones in each other's lives now. When was it that we started to drift apart? Was it because all the responsibility had been dumped on me, and all the freedom gifted to her?

Was that truly a good reason to become distant? Hachiman had showed that I wasn't the only person in the world who had it difficult. What Yukino was going through now was proof that she too had difficulties of her own.

Would I really leave her to go through all of this alone? If I did that, something told me it would cause a rift between us that would never truly be mended. And I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if that happened.

_But how? How do I help her? How do I get through to her? _

I looked at the helpless girl in front of me, eyes rimmed with red, unable to hold my gaze.

At that moment, another voice spoke in my head.

_It doesn't matter. The words are immaterial. It doesn't even matter if you can't change anything. Just stay with her. That's what she really needs right now: to not be alone. _

Unbidden, something came over me. I didn't really know what to say. So, with wooden movements, I walked over to my younger sister and grabbed her hand. It felt out of character and awkward, but not the least bit wrong. She turned her head to look at me, eyes wide with surprise.

"You're not alone, Yukino."

That single moment changed everything.

Before that, I had never spent a lot of time with Yukino at school. I started to do so now. I was able to dissuade most people from bullying her. In turn, this allowed her to gradually come out of her shell. Somehow, both of us left behind our old versions. I learnt that it was all right to not shut myself away and remain aloof. She learnt that it was important to be herself, and stand by her decisions, even when people were against her, because those who genuinely cared wouldn't leave her side. With his reputation no longer at threat, Hayama acted normally around Yukino again, but she had lost interest in his surface-friendship.

Thus, stronger, kinder versions of us moved into middle school, and from there, to high school.

Yukino went from strength to strength, and our parents recognized that she would be able to contribute something of her own, something worthwhile, to Yukinoshita Corp. Thus, I was no longer the only sibling bearing responsibilities. Both of us would go to attend Soubu High, and our private tutoring at home followed different, but equally important paths now. While I was being groomed to take over as a leader, Yukino's skills were more as policy maker. In time, I graduated Sobu with top honours and entered Chiba University, while Yukino went on to became Student Council President, a job I hadn't taken because I had been too involved with many different activities.

And as for Hachiman?

Since the role previously assigned to him had now been taken by Yukino, he no longer had the same importance to Yukinoshita Corp. The burden that had been placed on him was reduced, and he had the time to pursue his own interests. Instead of Sobu, he went to Kaihin Sogo.

We saw each other less and less now, since he no longer lived at the estate. Since Kaihin Sogo and Soubu's graduation ceremonies were on different days, he turned up for Yukino's, which is where I met him.

Perhaps it was because we had seen so little of each other in recent times, but he seemed to have changed a lot. Tall and lanky, his untidy hair was longer than before, but there was a kind of calmness in his eyes that I didn't remember from before. A sort of satisfaction, as if in a job well done.

"Yo," he said, raising a hand in greeting.

"Still with that same greeting, eh?"

Neither of us said anything for a while. Instead, we watched the ceremony together. A strong, confident Yukino, stepping up on stage to accept the scroll proclaiming her honours.  
Looking back, things had slowly changed. What I had desired hadn't been easy to win. And it hadn't come in the way I had expected. But by trusting in each other, the two of us together had each gained what we had lacked. Yukino had been given responsibilities of her own. And I had gained freedom. It wasn't as though I had ever been interested in walking away from Yukinoshita Corp in its entirety. I just wanted to lead it on my own terms, a dream that seemed possible now.

I turned to look at him. He was taking the scene in, and had allowed a slight smile to make its way on to his face.

Though he said nothing, I had a feeling he would be going away after this. I found that the thought made me sad. As Yukino and I had gotten closer, somewhere along the line, he had gradually slipped out of our lives. That was only natural: relationships changed over time, as did people. Yet, Hachiman wasn't one of the people I was okay with slowly fading away.

How was he now? Where did he live? Was he still alone?

_What about you?_

I wanted to know. I wanted to ask him.

There was nothing wrong with the life I had at the moment. But I wanted him. I wanted him in it.

As I made that realization, the world around me started to fade gently away, breaking into fragments that were carried away like wisps by the currents of air.

His silhouette remained strong, and he looked at me.

"Hey, is this goodbye?" I asked him.

"Only if you want it to be," he replied.

He was starting to disappear now.

"How do I find you?" I asked in desperation. Time was running out. The world was vanishing.

"I'm on the other side. Believe in yourself, and _live_."

With that, he was gone.

_On the other side? Where?_

The world had vanished entirely now. Everything was dark. I couldn't see anything. I didn't know what I would be stepping into if I took a single step forward.

I was scared.

He'd left me here, in the dark, alone.

_No. That's not true._

He'd left, right when everything was breaking down inside me.

_No._

I shook my head.  
_  
He came here, didn't he?_

_Showed me a world where I didn't resent Yukino._

_A world where I could choose my own path._

He wasn't the sort to put stock in idle visions or delusional dreams. If he was showing me this, it meant that somewhere in there… was something genuine.

I wanted to find it.

That genuine thing.

I began to reach out.

_I want a world where Yukino and I don't hate each other. A world where I can decide my own fate. A world where I can know Hachiman, and be with him. A world where I can_ live.__

It was out there. He'd said so. He was waiting on the other side. All that was separating me from life was this darkness.

Humans are born with one fear, and one fear alone. The fear of falling. Every other fear was learned. In the dark, I could not see what was ahead. I could not hear, smell, taste or feel the path ahead.

I didn't _know_.

And that scared me.

But then, as children, when we learnt how to walk, run, jump… wasn't that too the act of doing something we hadn't done before? One could say that our bodies know what to do. All we had to do was trust it, trust our instincts, and take that first step.

In it, there was an element of a leap of faith. To believe, and do it.

I was scared. But I wanted… to get to the other side. _I wanted to live._

Taking a deep breath, I faced my fears, wrestling them down, and stepped forward.

The darkness ended up being paper thin. A veil. Beyond it, I saw countless images.

_These are… my true memories._

_Ah, that's right. Hachiman was never adopted into our family. I never got to say goodbye to Kyoko. I didn't get a chance to choose my own path. And when the time came, I only watched as Yukino suffered, because she was handed everything I wanted, while I was given only burdens._

_This is my life._

There had been no perfect resolutions. No one to show me the other routes I could have taken.

_Why, then? Why did you show me these lies, Hachiman?_

_Why?_

I became aware that I was crying. No sounds came. It was just that tears were falling from my eyes.

"Because I wanted you to see."

A flaming ethereal body manifested in front of me. His shape was far too distorted for me to recognize him by sight. But his aura… this was unmistakably Hachiman. He waved his hand, and the landscape shifted. The myriad of images around us were pushed aside, revealing what lay underneath.

It was a gigantic carved statue, made apparently of gold, depicting me. Except, it wasn't accurate at all. The differences were slight. But anyone with a skilled eye could have caught them.

There were numerous small alterations all over my body and face, and each of them removed the irregularities in my form. The figure in front of me was more or less perfect from a mechanical point of view. Perfect proportions, ideal ratios and features. It was the perfect woman.

I felt sick just looking at it. Perfect muscle-to-body fat ratio. Perfect skeletal structure and jawline. Perfect hair. A pose designed to captivate without being overly sexual. And an expression that was the most painstakingly crafted fake smile in existence.

I knew this form well. It was the image I had created of myself, and worn as a mask and mantle.

"I don't want to see this," I said to him.

"You must. You need to."

He approached the statue.

"You crafted this. This person that you wanted people to perceive you as. Because it was necessary to obtaining your goals. Goals that were never your own. Goals that were forced upon you. You needed this persona, to achieve the impossible tasks your parents set you. Over time, this form became your armour. You convinced yourself that this armour was all people desired from you. After all, it was built out of all your virtues, was it not? All the qualities that people had praised you for since birth."

He looked at me, and the eyes set in his ethereal body burned.

"And eventually, after hearing it for so long, you were convinced, this was _all _people deserved to see, since it was all they were interested in. The surface. So this armour was used to seal away what lay inside. Even though it was suffering, everyday."

He pointed to the statue.

"This monstrosity has stood long enough. Isn't it time you destroyed it?"

I approached it, and slowly, reached out my hand, placing it on the surface. It was cold to the touch, fittingly, but enormously strong, solid. It seemed indestructible.

"I can't," I said in a small voice.

"You're the _only_ one who can."

I looked at him. He nodded. Somehow, I felt a measure of strength.

Clenching my fist, I pulled it back, then struck the gold structure with everything I had, right in the face. A crack appeared, spreading across it. Once more, I punched it. The cracks grew, becoming deeper. Shouting aloud, I hit it one final time, and the entire surface broke, revealing the gold to be a mere coating, which fell to pieces.

Underneath was… me.

I stared at the self I was faced with. Her body was scarred, and inside, through her flesh, I could see heart within, cracked, barely beating. She looked up at me, with eyes that were uncertain, scared, resigned, yet hopeful.

_I see. I never gave up, did I?_

Cautiously, I moved closer to that self of mine. She flinched, shrinking away. Tenderly, I reached out, and pulled her closer. Hesitant at first, the figure opened up to my embrace, before ultimately turning into a warmth that seeped into me.

"I wanted to show you… what the world had never given you a chance to be. Yourself. Live, breathe, think, writhe, fight, struggle, agonize, and always be that person."

I nodded slightly, eyes closed.

For the first time in a long time, I felt peaceful.

The dream began to fade, and I felt myself moving towards consciousness.

**Hachiman's POV: **

I could feel myself starting to get eroded by the currents in Haruno's mindspace. My time here was up. I needed to return to my own mindspace. Thankfully, my job was done.

With an effort, I willed myself to return, and opened my eyes.

"Haaaaah!"

I sat up, breathing heavily, back in my own body and mind. I frantically felt around with my hands, touching my arms and chest, trying to assure myself that I was still me. That had been extremely difficult, and more than once, I had nearly had my psychic self torn apart.

_Never again._

_**You're damn right, never again.**_

Omega sounded furious, but the strong wave of relief she was emanating completely drowned out the anger.

_You were worried, huh?_

_**OF COURSE I WAS WORRIED, YOU ASSHOLE!**_

She proceeded to break into a stream of profanities that could have made an Attitude Era pro wrestler blush, and a full five minutes passed by before she stopped for breath.

_I'm sorry_.

I really did mean it. Omega had been nothing but loyal since the moment we'd been together. If it hadn't been for her, I wouldn't even be alive right now, and neither would Haruno.

_You saved our lives. Thank you._

I was greeted with a mental image of a blushing anthropomorphic deity.

_**T-that's… don't think you can talk your way out of this!**_

I shook my head.

_I'm not. We'll be much more careful from now. So please, continue to help me._

_**Of course I will!**_

She was quick to answer.

_**You didn't need to ask, I'm right here, you know.**_

That second part she added in a quieter tone.

It was insane. Her gap moe charm levels were off the charts. If this were a fan fiction, she'd be the super rare being called the well-liked OC.

I was broken out of my thoughts by the sounds of rustling bedsheets.

_She's waking up._

Haruno opened her eyes and sat up, groggily looking around till her eyes landed on me.

"Hachiman?" she said softly.

"Hey", I said, smiling slightly.

Being inside her mind and going through her memories had… changed a lot of things about my perception of her.

Not least among the things I had discovered was… her feelings for me.

They would complicate things. Immensely.

But I would think of all that later. For now-

"I'm glad you're alive… and awake." _  
_


	12. Chapter 12

**To Fight a Monster...******

**Hachiman's POV: **

"..."

"..."

"..."

"... Aren't you at least going to offer us tea or something?"

I felt a vein popping in my temple.

_Omega, can we erase this brat?_

_**Hachiman, please.**_****

I sighed.

_Fine, I'll make the thrice damned tea._

Getting up, I made my way over to the kitchen. After a bit of clanking around and much clinking of chinaware, I managed to dig up enough cups for everyone. I consider it nothing short of a miracle. I'd never had this many people over since I moved into the place. I wondered if this is what it felt like to be a riajuu. If so, it was tiring, and I wish it was over already. Taking out the teabags (I snickered inwardly at the pun), I quickly brewed some for all except me. I'd be sticking to my tried and tested nectar, MAX coffee. Feeling too lazy to carry the tray over to my bedroom, I simply drew on Omega's power and teleported it there instead.

_**KYAAA! Hachiman, if you touch me so suddenly…**_****

The resident pervert in my head sent me an image of her with her back arched, one hand reaching towards a certain special place, and a tinge of red on her cheeks. I felt my face grow hot.

_Dammit woman, don't say things that give the wrong idea! People are going to think it's sexual everytime I use your power._

I decided to ignore the bit where she was already living inside me, so we were about as intimate as could be.

_**Eh? Do you want it to be sexual every time you use my power? We could do that…**_****

She trailed off, drawing out the end of the sentence suggestively.

I shook my head. An incurable pervert indeed. But, I happened to know she was just playing, so I smoothly remained silent, and was rewarded with a visual of her pouting. Once again, I was hit with the combined power of a mature body and gap moe. Trying to not pay any mind to the growing stiffness in my pants, I grabbed a can of MAX from the fridge and walked towards the bedroom.

_**The dignified walk-away would be more impressive if you weren't wiping away a nosebleed.**_

…

Five minutes later, we were all consuming caffeine. The silence, however, was as awkward as ever. It may or may not have had something to with the seating arrangement. Haruno, who had just recovered from crippling mental trauma, was sitting in bed with her back against the headrest, at my insistence. The Deviluke sisters and the blonde loli, who had been guarding my apartment during my psychic dive into Haruno's mind, had occupied the chairs, along with their clumsy protagonist, who looked as nervous as ever. Since that was all the chairs we had, that left me with nowhere else to go… except the bed. _Right_ next to Haruno.

This would normally have been the cue for her to begin her ritual teasing of me, something she had done all through my high school life, where she had effortlessly encroached on my personal space to get a reaction out of me. However, all that, of course, was part of the personality she had crafted, a mere act, something that I had been aware of even back then. As a result, even though I had been uncomfortable, it had been nothing more than what you could expect from a lifelong loner who is suddenly in very close proximity to a beautiful woman.

With recent events, like, say, the bit where I was in her mindspace and she destroyed the fake self she had fabricated, she no longer _had _a facade. I wish I could say that what happened here too, was a case of gap moe, with the contrast between her previous indomitable self and a newfound meek and demure one becoming a source of cuteness and fluff.

This would have been a lie.

When you spend more than a decade forcing yourself to be something, only to have that something taken away from you in a single night, you're lost. In order to help Haruno find the strength to come out of the shell she had backed herself into after the Replicant's assault, she had needed reasons; reasons to fight for. Searching her mind, I had tried to show her a world which would help her find those reasons. She had them now. But having goals is only the beginning. The journey towards them is tough, and in the beginning, one doesn't even know how to walk forward.

That's how she looked right now. Lost. Uncertain. It wasn't glaringly obvious. It wasn't as if she was making a scene. But I could see it now. In her downcast eyes and subdued movements. She didn't know _how_ to move forward from here.

For the moment, I decided to sit next to her. I didn't have any answers, but I wanted to help her.

_Omega, did we do the right thing? _

_**I don't really know.**_****

I stared at her mental projection in amazement.

_You're a deity who's been around since before this universe. And you don't know?_

_**I don't.**_****

She replied with a smile that was equal parts bitter and sweet.

_**I've lived a long time, and I've seen entire galaxies come and go. There are as many ways of life as there are living beings. Even if I gave you my answer, I doubt it would be of any help to you.**_****

I frowned. I sensed that her intent was benevolent, but for some reason, her words irked me. Did they make me feel like she was looking down on me? I pushed that thought away. Even if she was, I could not call her misguided. She was far older and more powerful than I could imagine. I was not so naive as to believe that a Universal force couldn't look down on a mere human.

She shook her head, receding deeper into me.

… _**Fool.**_****

_Omega? _

I tried calling out to her, but she wouldn't respond. For someone who was so lively, there were times when she could be completely silent, and it would be as if she wasn't even there. I looked at Haruno again. I hadn't known any other way to save her. This had been my only option. In that sense, I didn't regret what I had done. But it still haunted me. And it would. Even though everything else was just a what-if.

Opening the can of MAX, I took a sip.

"You guys helped me out," I said, looking at the girls and boy seated in front of me. "Why?"

The one with the long pink hair, who was the elder Deviluke sister, spoke.

"Well… you had just gotten Haruno san here out of a burning building. I figured, you couldn't be a bad guy."

"Keh."

Typical. She's a female lead from some series. Of course she'd have a naively simple worldview like that.

"And because I never really trusted the guy who told me that we'd need to defeat all our rivals to survive."

I raised an eyebrow.

"What's this about?"

"No one gave you a similar message, Hikigaya san?" asked the male protag.

Thinking back, what I had received was a text message, telling me that I would be up against dangerous characters.

"Something like that. What exactly did they say to you?"

"Well, we were visited by this guy, the same guy that transported us into this world. He said that I'd be up against others like me, and that I'd need to defeat them all in order to go back home. That and… some other stuff, which I didn't hear because I got knocked out-"

"He said that it was essential we defeat all the other protagonists we encounter," interrupted Momo. "Because they would all be trying to do the same. Either by killing Rito, or well, by NTR-ing him."

I began to see a pattern here. That was very similar to what Haruno had told me when she had first informed me about the game mechanics.

"For one reason or another, that is true", Haruno said tonelessly. "As the Neutral in the Chiba region of the battle royale, many of the participants I know are indeed seeking to expand their harems. Others are fighting to protect their women. Thus, conflict occurs."

I frowned. That much was true, and seemed like an obvious conclusion. But it still didn't explain a lot of things. For example, in the case of the folks sitting opposite me right now, it was clear the MC was not actively interested in maintaining a harem. On the other hand, one of the girls in it was, and there might be more of them too. Yet, even they proved agreeable to reason, and have called a truce with me. Earlier, I had met that Red Dragon bastard and his allies. We'd ended up fighting, but I hadn't been able to ascertain his motives properly.

Besides, there was me. I certainly wasn't interested in fighting people without a reason, or fighting at all, if I could help it.

That was proof, that a lot of the people in this so-called battle royale would be willing to coexist in peace. Haruno and my fears had been valid, but there was more to it, and the Momo girl's testimony gave more evidence for this.

A man from another dimension had egged her group on to try and take on opponents. That man had to come from the same place where my own other-dimensional visitor came from, the guy who had first unlocked my Trait. Maybe it was even the same guy. Of course, these were the same people who had started all of this in the first place. They were working for some mysterious being called the Writer.

They were the ones responsible for all of this. It made perfect sense that they would stir the pot and ensure that the "battle" in "battle royale" happened.

But why? What was the motive behind organizing such an extensive and complex game? Haruno had said that the technology involved was extremely advanced. With the Mastery Over Alien Tech skill I had learnt, I knew that it was theoretically possible for higher dimensional beings to manipulate lower dimensions, but had no idea how such a device would actually be built or function at a level sufficient to alter our reality. In addition, Haruno had said that the tech was not capable of precise or complete control. This was most likely something those people had let slip in front of her. If that was true, they barely had any control over what was going on here. Why go to such lengths then? It couldn't just be for entertainment. There had to be some other motive. It was obvious they were the true enemy here. But they wouldn't be easy to defeat. Even with Omega's power. In order to have a chance, I would need to find out what they were after, and wait for the opportune moment to strike. In the meantime, I had no choice but to play the game.

Of course, there are things I've learnt from playing 1v1 fighting games, hack and slashes, action RPGs and traditional JRPGs.

In a hack and slash like Devil May Cry, you exploit physics mechanics such as by jump cancelling, in order to attack enemies in a way they can't counter. In an action RPG, you levelled up your character to always have an advantage over NPCs and other players.

And in a character and story based game… you pursue routes by interacting with others. Of course, unless the game has a harem ending (oh the irony), pursuing one route often means the end of another.

But this was real life, where the branches weren't limited to preprogrammed options.

With that in mind…

"Listen. I have no interest in fighting any of you, nor do I have any interest in hitting on you," I said to the four of them, pausing specifically to look at Momo. "But if you try to make a move on my girls…"

I leaned in a little and glared at them.

"There won't be enough plot armour in the multiverse to protect you."

The four of them visibly stiffened, with the boy actually flinching back. I didn't like making threats, but this wasn't a threat. It was a statement of fact.

Having said my piece, I leaned back.

"With that said, I really wouldn't recommend going picking fights with other MCs either," I continued. "It's obvious we're being manipulated, and no one ever reaches the goal if all they do is try to navigate the maze."

"What do you mean?" asked Yuuki.

"He means to break the game," said the blonde one named Yami, speaking for the first time.

I nodded, smirking slightly.

"H-Hachiman, I wouldn't recommend that."

I turned to Haruno. She was shivering slightly, and had drawn her knees up to her chest. It was a clear indication that she was scared. That word itself, spoken in connection to her name, would have been referred to an impossibility a few days ago. But after being in her mind, I knew that wasn't true. She was human, like the rest of us, and just as vulnerable. Out of all of us, I think she was the most familiar with the power of these other-dimensional enemies, and thus, she had the most reason to be scared. I had brought her to this point. Forced her to let go of her mental crutches. Now I was talking about going against powerful beings. I couldn't just say those words and leave her by the wayside. I had to take responsibility.

_I will take responsibility._

Ignoring the instinctive cringe for the mainstream hero-like crap I was about to pull, I put a hand on her shoulder gently.

_I really hope I don't end up sounding like a riajuu._

"It's okay," I said. "Don't be afraid."

_Fuck. Fuck. Fuck it. That was the single most cliche, typically shounen shit I've ever said in my life, including the time I bawled my eyes out saying I wanted something genuine._

Yet, it had some effect. Haruno stopped shaking, and looked up at me.

"They came after you, Haruno. We don't know who sent that thing, but we know that even Neutrals aren't safe," I said, as softly as I could. There was no point tiptoeing around the truth.

"You don't understand. It's impossible to go up against them. They manipulate our parameters. Our surroundings. Activate and power our Traits."

"But their control isn't absolute. So there's a limit to what they can do. You said it yourself."

She shook her head.

"It might already be too late. You went out of your way to help me, and gave me refuge here. This much might be all right, but any further…"

My eyes widened.

_The Anti Hero Trait in her. She is supposed to have a tragic ending while assisting a protagonist, isn't she? And the position of Neutral means she will be destroyed from within if she attempts to get closer to any of us._

Before I could muster up any words to respond with, the building began to shake.

**A Few Minutes Ago, Nth Dimension, ?'s POV:**

"Why'd you do it?"

I didn't reply, instead gathering the blood in my mouth before spitting it out to one side. That only pissed him off more, which was what I expected. Grunting, he decked me with another punch to the jaw. He was fairly strong, but his technique was awful, so by rolling with the impact, I managed to avoid getting concussed or having teeth knocked out.

"Hey tell me something. With arms that weak, is it your girlfriend who lifts you in bed?" I asked.

His teeth were clenched. He looked, to put it mildly, fucking furious.

"I'm about to knock that head off your shoulders", he said, swinging wildly at me. Exactly as planned.

I ducked the blow, and his wide movement caused him to overbalance himself, making him stumble. Taking advantage, I swept his legs out from under him, causing him to fall on his butt. Without further ado, I kicked him a second time, this time in the head, which was now within my reach, knocking him out.

"You have a hard head", I said to his unconscious form. Closing my eyes, I focused my awareness, gathering my power, before pulling my arms apart, breaking free of the chains that had tied my hands behind my back. I rolled my shoulders. Being held in that position for an hour definitely hadn't done any favour for the joints. I checked on the Writer's body. Yep, definitely knocked out. I have a pretty sick roundhouse kick, if I do say so myself.

_Yeah, that's right. Distract yourself with praise. It doesn't really matter that you've just made yourself an enemy of the world. Hoh boy. You've done it now._

Now that the adrenaline had subsided, I was shaking. Rising to my feet a little unsteadily, I tried to think straight.

_Staying here is out of the question. I'll be executed as soon as they find me. I need to get the hell out of here. _

I needed to get to another dimension. And the one dimension I needed to get to… was the one where everything was going down. It was the only way I could prevent the end from happening.

Making my way over to the automated door, I checked the corridor before dashing for the Interdimensional Portal Containment Room. Once I reached it, I quickly typed in the keycode, and entered. In front of me was the massive structure in the centre of which the Rift would be generated. Going to the control panel, I typed in the parameters, and was about to hit the button to open the Rift, when I was interrupted by the sound of the door opening, and multiple sets of footsteps.

"Don't even think about it."

The one who had spoken pointed the Molecular Disruptor at me.

"You point that thing at me, you better be ready to pull the trigger."

"Quoting Terminator films won't save you here. Also, nothing past T2 will ever be canon in my book."

"Fuck you, and fuck your book too," I said to her.

Her face tightened a little, and she primed the gun, preparing to fire at me.

"You're going to execute me without a trial? So much for justice."

She scowled.

"You've gone far beyond the point where a trial is needed. You tampered with the plans of the Emperor, and altered the Game."

"Altered the Game? I have no idea what you're talking about," I replied, pretending to clean an ear.

"Don't play dumb. You went against orders, and activated _his_ Protagonist Trait."

"You're gonna have to be more specific than that, babe."

She gritted her teeth.

"Hachiman Hikigaya, you neanderthal! The potential threat, the unpredictable factor we'd isolated as too dangerous for use in our plan! His world, his universe, would have been the perfect battleground, the perfect place to complete the process, till _you fucked it up._"

"Hmm? I don't get you. You wanted to see a battle between protagonists, didn't you? All I did was give you wanted. I put a real MC, with a legit set of testicles, into the battle royale. Someone with ideals. Heart. But none of you know shit about that, do you?"

I looked at her with venom.

"After all, you're fine with sacrificing people just to harvest what you need from their corpses."

She reciprocated the look with every bit as much anger.

"Big words from someone who made a deal with Darkseid."

I started, but couldn't quite reply to that.

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue? You must have been a good deal smoother, when you convinced the god of darkness to make a twenty year old college kid his heir. Oh yeah, or the bit where you put, I don't know, the GODDAMN OMEGA EFFECT in the game! You utter fucking idiot, that is a multiversal threat! Game balance went out the window the moment when you put it in!"

I was breathing hard now.

_I haven't done anything wrong. We didn't have the right to play with their lives. I gave them a way to fight back._

"We know everything," she went on. "And if it makes you feel any better, your favourite protag is going to die quicker because of you, long before he learns to harness the true power of the Omega Effect. We've dispatched the Hybrid."

_No. No fucking way. They completed that monstrosity?_

I heard her laughing at me.

"Hikigaya is about to get snapped like a twig, even if we need to destroy Chiba to do it. The protags located there would have been a valuable resource, but we have the battle royale proceeding in other parts of their Earth too. There are more than enough of them for us to obtain what we need. You get it, don't you? You just condemned an entire city to its death."

_The Hybrid. That fucking hybrid abomination. How many Monster and Antagonist Traits did they have to harvest to build that thing? A single component of it was enough to beat the Kryptonian into a healing coma, and that component alone cannot begin to compare to the finished product of our science. All of Chiba? That thing goes out of control, an entire Earth is going to turn into a wasteland._

I raised my head with some difficulty, making sure to look her in the eye.

"You made a mistake. Don't underestimate Hikigaya. He'll evolve, and defeat the beast."

She scoffed. "Evolve? That brat? Don't make me laugh. He spent two whole seasons and twelve odd light novels before finding the balls to admit to himself he might have a thing for his oh-so-precious Ice Queen. And then he failed to even confess to her. That kid wouldn't know evolution if it slapped him in the face."

"Heh. Is that what you're thinking? Well, we'll just have to see how it all plays out, won't we? I'm going to enjoy the look on your faces when he comes for you."

I was nowhere near as confident as I was trying to sound. But I had already gone too far to have any doubts. All I could do now was put my trust in him, and hope he'd pull through.

"You won't live to see it," she said, preparing to fire the gun. I pressed the button on the control panel, making sure to grab on to the safety bar tightly.

Immediately, the Rift opened, pulling in anything that wasn't nailed down to a support.

Most of the guards flew headfirst in within seconds. She lost her grip on the gun, instead using both hands to hold on to a nearby panel on the wall.

"You insane fool! Unauthorized use of the Rift is punishable by death!"

"Yeah yeah. Say, did you know, I sent them to a post apocalyptic world where this buff guy with death touch martial arts walks around slaughtering goons."

"You sent them to the world of Hokuto no Ken?"

She looked absolutely livid.

"Yep. And now, I must bid you adieu."

I reset the parameters, and opened a second Rift, jumping in. Her angry shouting faded away as I entered the portal.

_Hikigaya, bro, I'm on my way. I won't be much help now, I've already done what I could. But I got you involved in this mess. If you're going down, I at least want to go down with you._

**Yumiko's POV, a few minutes ago:**

I checked my gear. I was wearing a tracksuit, nice and easy to move around in. I'd taken my cell phone and some money, and a taser. Can't be too careful of scumbags. Mom and Dad would throw a fit if they knew I was going out at this hour, but I have to.

_Hachiman… _

His number didn't exist? That was bullshit. I'd been with him just earlier today. Something must have happened to him. Something from that crazy world he's a part of. A world of protagonists and superhuman powers. A world of monsters and insanity. A world where Traits that could override free will existed.

_But, even so. If that's the world where you live, I'll go there too. I want to stand next to you._

He hadn't used his Trait on me. He couldn't have. I knew this. It didn't make sense, but I _knew _it. Maybe it was just instinct. It definitely wasn't logic. But I believed in him.

I believed in him. The boy who had spent his high school life throwing himself under the bus for others… and the man I had met a week ago, who had saved me.

_I pushed you away, didn't I?_

_No. I definitely won't let it end like this. I'll find you._

Carefully, I slipped out of the house, and began to jog towards Hachiman's apartment. It wasn't far from here. He could have been anywhere at all. There was no way for me to find out. But somehow, I knew that's where he was. It was almost like I could sense his presence.

Within minutes, the building came into view, and I saw the light was on in his bedroom window. A smile made its way on to my face. Before I could reach the entrance however, a tremendous impact rocked the ground. It happened all the way at the end of the block, but the force was so great, I could feel the earth shake under me.

_What the…_

The impact had knocked out the power in the entire area. It had sent out some kind of shockwave, something that tingled against the skin like static. As a result, the only light source was the moon. Even so, I could make out its dim outline as it approached. It stood over a storey tall, and nearly wide enough to occupy the alley from pavement to pavement.

_What the hell is that thing?_

With each step it took, the ground shook. From its outlines, it was clear it barely qualified as being humanoid in shape. Its arms hung low, till around its knees. Bestial eyes glowed, and the moonlight glinted off spikes and ridges protruding from its body. Every now and then, a swirling tendril of some _thing_ would shoot out from it, whipping around like a tentacle.

Sheer dread filled me, rooted me to the spot. It wasn't even along the lines of normal fear. This was a biological reaction. Every cell in my body was telling me that this thing was death. It was as impossible to win against it as it was to stop an earthquake or quell a storm.

_I want to run._

_I want to run._

_But Hachiman is in there. I can't leave him here. _

The fear was so intense, even my jaw refused to move. I might as well have been a living statue.

_Move, damn it. MOVE!_

"HACHIMAN, GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE, NOW! RUN!"

I screamed the words with every ounce of power in my lungs, forcing the sound out of my unwilling body.

Almost immediately, the glow from the monster's eyes intensified, and with frightening speed, it charged… straight towards me.

I caught only a brief glimpse of razor sharp claws, and sort of slick, leathery, liquid substance, before my eyes closed on their own, probably to prevent me from seeing my own death.

And reopened again instantly, when a deafening report exploded in my ears. They shot wide open. Out of the corner of them, I vaguely noted that the apartment building to my left had a section of its wall missing. But my attention was focused in front of me. As I've said, there was only moonlight to go by, but I would have recognized that silhouette anywhere.

"Hachiman!"

He didn't turn around. When he spoke, his voice was different from from anything I'd heard from him before. His normal nonchalance and monotone was replaced by sharpness and purpose. It was a voice there was no arguing with.

"**Yumiko, get out of here, now. Haruno, go with her. All of you. Now." **

My eyes widened.

He'd stopped that monster's blow, and was holding its arm in check. Had Hachiman's back always looked that large? I remember reading somewhere, probably in a manga, that the proof of a man's strength lay in his back, because it was the only thing people he was protecting got to see.

Without further ado, he drew his other arm back, and delivered a blow to the creature. It connected with a thud that bone against flesh should not produce. The vibration shook me to the core, sending the hulk of organic mass flying back.

"Hachiman…"

"Come on, we have to get out of here…"

I looked at the person next to me, and recognized her. This was… the Yukinoshita bitch's elder sister? What was she doing here? There was no time to dwell on that. A bunch of other people came too, who I couldn't recognize.

"Miura san, don't just stand there, move!"

The elder Yukinoshita sounded about as desperate as I felt. I looked into her eyes, and understood instantly that she was in the same state as I was. Both of us wanted to help, but against that monster, there was nothing we could do.

"Don't even think about it", said one of the strangers, a young looking blonde girl with a strangely emotionless face. "That thing… whatever it is… isn't something any sort of mortal can win against."

She looked at the scene unfolding. Hachiman was advancing towards the creature.

"Against a monster that defies reason, only another monster can prevail."

Another shockwave, this one great enough to shatter every glass panel in the vicinity. Hachiman hadn't even given it enough time to get back to its feet. The ground cracked under the combined force of its weight and his punch.

"**Disintegrate." **

A familiar energy I had seen before during his previous fight emanated from his eyes, striking the creature. Only the magnitude and intensity were incomparable on every level. The beams blazing from his eyes now had lit up the entire street, rendering every detail as clear as if it were morning.

I gasped.

The being had rocklike skin, with sharp, stalagtite-like formations jutting out from its elbows, back, shoulders and fists. In random places across its body, some sort of strange black, tar like substance oozed, pulsing as if it were alive. It had multiple glowing eyes in its head, which opened in large, curved mandibles.

The beams of energy struck it full on the chest, sparks bursting off it. After a moment passed, however, it became clear they weren't having any effect of it.

"Impossible…" said Yukinoshita. "The Omega Effect can't destroy it…"

**Hachiman's POV:**

I took a step back.

_How?!_

_**This abomination isn't ordinary.**_ _**It's resistant to being erased on an existential level. **_

_How do we beat it then?_

Before Omega could answer, the thing began to glow, turning green. As it did so, it's already inhuman muscle mass began to grow.

Wait. Green colour. Increase in muscle mass.

_Oh sh-_

_**Brace yourself.**_

An impact beyond anything I could begin to imagine crashed full onto me. Right before it made contact, Omega took complete control of my body, tensing my muscles to their fullest and holding my arms in front of me, while bending to protect my vitals.

The force felt like the roided out offspring of a freight train and a wrecking ball.

I felt the street crack as I skidded backwards across it at incredible speed before ultimately getting lifted off it and flying through the air, flipping over and smashing full force into the wall behind me, totalling it.

Clenching my teeth, I pushed myself off the rubble.

_**Look out!**_

Warned just in time, I dodged to the side, barely avoiding its blow. Doing so gave me some room to breathe, and I got a look at its now altered appearance. Its skin was green all over, and veins were pulsing all over it. And even with its completely inhuman face, it was clear that its features were twisted in an expression of rage.

_A gamma energy signature? And its strength and speed have increased dramatically. _

_**It gets stronger with anger.**_****

The swirling liquid like masses on its surface, green as well now, changed shape, swinging towards me in slashing motions. Empowered by Omega, I was fast enough to dodge each attack. Behind me, I sensed sliced walls, streetlamps and cars collapse.

_This isn't good. It's barely trying, and already doing this much damage. We keep this up, this entire block is toast._

_**No. It's far more dangerous than that. This… thing… whatever it is, is capable of ending worlds.**_****

I looked at the creature. Face contorted in rage and bloodlust, it was clear that there was no way to reason with it. No way to stop it from doing what it was created to do. Destroy. Past its hulking body, I could see Yumiko, Haruno and the others.

_I thought I told them to move!_

No, it wasn't their fault. This thing shouldn't be here. It shouldn't even exist.

_Omega, if we can't erase that thing from existence, there's only one other course of action. _

"**We kill it the old fashioned way."**

With our purpose decided, we shot forwards towards it. Considering we were in a heavily populated area, surrounded by residences, going crazy was not an option. We needed to finish it in one place, before it could do any more damage.

Relying on our speed, we dashed past its wild haymakers. I found a foothold on his extended knee, and jumped off it to reach the level of its head. We had got inside its defences. Thrusting forward with an open hand, we aimed to penetrate its neck with our fingertips. I was operating at Level 100 strength, meaning that strike had enough power to destroy a mountain.

It didn't even faze it.

We hadn't broken past its skin.

I barely had time for my eyes to widen in shock, before it grabbed hold of me with one massive hand, lifting me up, before swinging me down like a toy at a speed that resembled a rollercoaster on cocaine. I smashed into the ground backfirst, and felt the street crack beneath me. All the air was knocked out of me.

_Insane. What strength._

Those were the only words I could think before pain consumed me.

I felt myself rising up again, faster than last time, and less than a second later, my spine felt the agony of sideways trauma it wasn't designed to take, as I was slammed. I felt the earth tremble under me. This slam had been harder than the first.

_Broken spine. Scapula crushed. Rib penetrating lung. Cardiac situation critical. Body about to shut down. I can't survive another impact._

Try as I might, I couldn't move at all. My body wouldn't respond to my commands.

I looked up. We seemed to be far below street level now. The air absolutely stank.

_This thing… slammed us straight into the sewage tunnels. _

From the amount of sky visible above, its last attack must have destroyed the entire street at the very least.

_Fan-fucking-tastic. I'm going to die covered in shit._

**Haruno's POV: **

I watched the massacre in front of me occur, frozen in horror. I couldn't move, or speak. I would have heeded his advice and run, like he had told me to. I had been confident that if anyone stood a chance against it, it was him. Leaving him here wasn't cowardly. We would have been of zero help to him in this fight, and he would have been burdened trying to look out for us. The best we could do was get the hell out, and help others evacuate the area, and leave him to handle that beast.

So I had thought, until I saw the monster resist the Omega Effect like nothing.

The Omega Effect, a Universal Force of entropy. Something capable of erasing a being from existence. It went beyond disintegrating the matter an object was made of. The Omega Effect was capable of making you _not_ _exist_.

And that monster had no-sold it.

After that, the real beatdown had begun.

I could feel myself shaking in dread. The best man I have known in my life was getting ragdolled right in front of me.

The first slam had shaken the earth. Some of the buildings around us had actually partially collapsed. The second one had caused a crack along the length of the street, at least fifty metres, which had eventually given way, causing the two of them to land in the sewage tunnel below.

_I've caused this, haven't I?_

It made perfect sense. It had happened right after my role as Neutral had been compromised, when Hachiman came to assist me… after I had called him.

If I hadn't made that call, if I had been strong enough to protect myself, none of this would have happened. Before, I'd been cursing my status as a Neutral. Cursing that I'd never have even a regular person's chance of being close to him.

This was a thousand times worse. If staying away from him could avoid this, I'd happily stay away my entire life, cut off all contact with him. I had brought this on him by dragging him into the trainwreck that my story was.

As it stood, I was being forced to watch as the one who had always, unhesitatingly taken the bullet for anyone and everyone around him, was getting the only reward the world would offer for his actions.

_Why can't I move? Is it because I know I'd do no good at all against that thing? Is that a good enough reason to not try? Even if I get squashed in an instant, it's better than standing by and watching._

As I looked on, the behemoth lifted his body off the tunnel floor.

I gasped.

Hachiman's spine was bent at a horrible angle, his arms and legs hanging limply.

_This is it? This is what he gets after everything?_

His eyes were closed, as he slumped over like a broken toy in the grip of that nameless terror. It was like a scene drawn by someone with the sickest possible sense of humour. The juxtaposition of the contorted state of his body, and how peaceful his face looked.

_Why do you look like you're sleeping?_

_You're supposed to be screaming in agony._

_Scream._

_Scream, damn it. _

_For once, reach out for help._

The sheer _wrongness_ of it resonated within every fibre of me, like a taint in my very blood. This man had given up on hope and happiness, and made himself a tool to ensure others could have their chance at it. It had been a pathetic high school life. At the end of it all, he hadn't even been able to confess his feelings to their recipient. He'd been reduced to a mere shell of a living man. Until a week ago, when he'd met Miura, and found a reason to _live_, and not just keep breathing. He'd spent a mere week experiencing the joy that life has to offer.

In the end, even as he was getting killed, he hadn't called for help, even once.

The unfairness of it all burned.

Something in me snapped.

_Even if you won't call. Even if you're already dead. Even if I can't even put a dent on that demon… this time, I WILL fight for you._

With that resolve, I tried to make myself walk forward. I felt like I was being held in place by shackles. The instincts born of thousands of years of human evolution were holding me back, in the same way they hold a person back from jumping into flames, or stepping off a ledge. This wasn't the same as fighting a wild animal. That thing was destruction made flesh. It was certain death. A force of nature. This was not a subjective opinion. It was a fact.

_So be it, then. There's no point in living if I can't even fight when you're dying in front of me._

My skin froze over, and a cold feeling like stepping into a waterfall washed over me. This was my body telling me that I was ignoring a critical warning.

_MOVE, DAMN IT!_

I took a step forward, and instantly, the shackles holding me back shattered. My heart was pounding wildly, but I felt calm. The fear was gone. I'd already accepted my death.

Now it was just a matter of how much I could damage it before I went down. Bloodlust rose in me, and I summoned lightning in my hands.

Raising my power to the absolute max, and focusing so that I'd retain control of the bolt even after I launched it, I hurled the crackling energy at the beast. The night sky lit up with a million volts of supernatural electricity as the power collided with the hulking being, causing it to emit, for the first time, a roar of rage and pain. It dropped Hachiman, and turned around to face me.

"That's it, I'm right here. Let's do this."

I had never yet had a reason to use all my abilities to the fullest… until now. Even if I ended up incinerating the town, there was no reason for me to hold back any more.

**[{(Summon Lightning + Summoned Spear) x Critical Modifier + Rage Boost} x Charge Attack Modifier] x Anti Hero Modifier x Near Death Focus Modifier**

The sheer amount of concentration required to bring all of the Active Skills into use simultaneously was beyond anything I could have achieved on any other day. But this wasn't any other day.

I spent my one-time-use teleportation Skill to warp to a position that was _behind _the monster, so that I was between it and Hachiman. With the speed that beast had displayed, there would be nowhere near enough time to form the attack after the warp, so I had to do that beforehand and hold on to the energy until I was in position.

I could feel it threatening to overcome my control and electrocute me, like a snake that vaporized whatever it touched.

As soon as I re-entered the dimension behind the beast, it began to turn, but it wasn't quick enough, and I hurled the lightning infused spear right at it.

"Yippie kay-yay, motherfucker."

**?'s POV: **

It's too late. All hope is gone. I had arrived in time to see the one-sided massacre begin. At the start, it looked like Hikigaya might hold his own, but as soon as the Omega Beams failed, I knew it was all over.

_Those bastards put the Causality Resistance Trait in that monster. It can't be erased by something like the Omega Effect that equates to divine will._

It was after that the Hybrid proceeded to break Hikigaya. By the state his body was in, he was already gone.

None of the others could react. Of course. That made perfect sense. A character with a Protagonist Trait or any Heroic Trait can fight against a being with one Villain Trait. Multiple, if those Traits came from fodder. But neither of those two cases applied here.

To construct the Hybrid, they'd used the body of Doomsday as the base, which they had then implanted with the Strength Boost Trait dependent on anger. It was based on a gamma mutation, and taken from a being whose world had called him infinitely powerful, depending on his mood. And finally, as if that wasn't enough, he had been coated with the powerful shape shifting alien symbiote. But it was more than simply putting their physical characteristics together. He possessed the Traits of each of the component characters as well, making him nigh undefeatable.

Its mere presence had frozen the Deviluke sisters and the living weapon, Yami, in place. Yumiko, despite possessing a hidden Trait, was just an ordinary human. There wasn't enough cliche or plot armour in existence to allow her to do anything here.

And that was when I witnessed a miracle come to pass.

The designated Neutral overstepped her role.

I didn't even have time to blink.

I wonder. If there had been life on other planets in that solar system, would they write in their newspapers that a bright flash had been seen from the Earth that day?

It sounds like an oversell. But I was there, and I can tell you, I probably couldn't exaggerate what happened enough if I tried. Every hair on my body stood on end. The air didn't tingle with static. It almost _burned._ I could feel myself vibrating from all the small shocks I was getting.

For a brief moment, it was too bright to see, brighter even than the day. I had to shield my eyes.

When I opened them, I was greeted with a sight I had only before seen when observing other worlds through the pages of manga or comics.

Haruno's attack had cleaved a trail clean through the street, pavement and buildings in its path. It was about the width of a truck, and extended, as I could see from my vantage point high above, all the way from the area they were in, to the block after next.

_But… there were people in there!_

_!_

_It's unheard of… bystanders don't actually… die during these things… do they?_

My legs were shaking in fear, and it had nothing to do with the Hybrid. The woman standing a kilometer or so away, between that hybrid creation and a fallen protag, had not only overstepped her designated role, she had done away with that unwritten rule: the world isn't really to be affected or changed, no matter how big the fight seemed to be.

She had, without a shred of doubt or remorse, turned everything in her path, living and otherwise, into ash, to land a finishing blow on the enemy.

_She doesn't care. She doesn't care how many had to die._

She had changed position before launching the attack. Changed position… so that Hikigaya would no longer be in its path.

_She doesn't care how many had to die, as long as she could protect him?_

The very thought made my stomach churn. She'd done it with zero hesitation, as if those lives hadn't mattered to her at all. It was the furthest thing from something 'adorable'. A blatant slap in the face of the very concept of a story with perfect endings.

_Of course. I don't have the right to resent her for this. We brought this war to their world. I don't have the right to complain._

It wasn't pretty. It wasn't gap moe, or any sort of moe. It went so far beyond the bounds of yandere, or any kind of dere, that attempting to put it into such subclass would be an insult. It was a terrible thing. A horrific act. Evil even.

But the strength of her feelings?

That was beyond unquestionable.

And every bit of those feelings had been poured into the attack.

I remembered, in a corner of my mind, the details of Haruno's variant of the Anti Hero Trait.

**Will prevent any possibility of a Good End, and prevent the formation of any bonds with a Protagonist. However, it will provide a single opportunity for a certain-kill attack against any enemy. Utilizing this opportunity, whether successfully or otherwise, will lead to the Trait possessor's death.**

In addition, there was the condition set by the Neutral Role.

**Will lead to a Bad End if the character violates Neutrality in favour of any other character.**

Haruno knew this.

This woman had raised two simultaneous death flags for herself even though chances were, the person she was fighting for was already dead.

My knees wouldn't stop knocking against each other.

Her attack had completely obliterated the Hybrid's upper body from the waist up.

It was a splendid move. Beautiful in its sheer devastating power. I almost felt like crying.

"Don't you see, it's useless."

_Doomsday is immune to death._

**Hachiman's POV: **

I can't turn my head. I'm lying face down in sewage. Spine is broken. Why am I still alive? I should have died. How am I even conscious? For a brief moment, I heard something like the sound of thunder. Then followed a smell… of burnt flesh. The body of the Hybrid went still. All I could see of it were its legs. They were still upright but not moving.

And then, someone bent down next to me.

_What's going on? Omega?_

_**It's Haruno. I can sense her mind. **_

"Hachiman…"

She moved me as gently as she could, but it still waves of agony ripping through me. I would have screamed if I could, but I couldn't draw any air in, given the fact that I had a punctured lung.

Turning me over so that I was facing her, she spoke to me, surprisingly softly.

"It's okay. It's over now, I killed it."

_Incredible._

The face looking down at me now wasn't wearing any more facades. Thus, there was no illusion of perfect self-assurance any more. It wasn't the same face she had shown mere minutes ago in my apartment either.

There were still doubts. There were still fears. But there was strength as well.

_I see. You figured out how you want to walk towards those goals. _

I thought she was in need of saving? What a joke.

She was perfectly capable of standing proud on her own, without any crutches.

"I'm going to get us both out of here. There'll be a Skill somewhere on the list that can fix you, and I'll find it. Hold on."

Desperately, as if short on time, yet still with exquisite care, she began to somehow try to lift me up without hurting me. Despite her efforts, each motion sent pain through me. Her attempts became more and more frenzied, until she was fumbling.

Knee deep in sewage, a woman who had just come out of a coma was trying to save a man who'd just been broken in half.

_Had I really done the right thing?_

I finally began to see the answer to that question.

This was exactly what human life was.

For all our advances, we were still, every last one of us, stumbling around blindly in the dark. The species as a whole, and each of us as individuals. Desperately trying to find the way forward, without knowing where we're going. In that dark, sometimes, we find each other. And, blind as we are, we reach out to hold hands. Together, we're no less blind than before.

But we aren't alone.

It was somewhere around the time I was thinking this, that a sharp bladed tendril shot over me, and went straight through Haruno's torso.

In my shock, I couldn't even _try _to move, futile though it may have been anyway.

Her eyes widened momentarily as blood began to pool from the hole in her stomach, before they relaxed.

"I see. In the end, I wasn't even able to take this bastard down with me."

She looked at me.

"I'm sorry it had to end this way. But I want you to know, for once in my life, I really did give it everything I had."

With those last words, the light began to fade from her eyes. 

_Omega, do something._

Silence.

_Omega, please. You can save her, right? _

Silence.

_Please. Tell. Me. You. Can. Save. Her._

Concentrating every last ounce of strength in my mind, I summoned the image of the deity. There was an expression of absolute blankness on her face. With my mental self, I reached out and shook her.

_Quit spacing out. Now is not the time. She's bleeding out. We can fix her, right?_

No response.

_RIGHT?!_

She finally turned her head to look at me.

Never before had I imagined I would _ever_ hear a Universal force say the words she said next, especially after she herself had told me that those words were pointless.

_**I'm sorry.**_

**?'s POV:**

It's regenerated already. The nightmare continues. The original Doomsday had been created through countless deaths and resurrections. The resultant creature gained a physical makeup that enabled it to regenerate from any kind of death whatsoever, including being disintegrated. It would simply come back together. And once it did, it would no longer be vulnerable to the method that had killed it, since its cells would have adapted to it.

It was the ultimate natural predator, the enemy of all other life. Strong, fast, completely violent, and unkillable.

No sooner had its torso grown back than it shot out a tendril from the symbiotic mass attached to it, straight through Haruno.

I fell to my knees, all will to escape gone.

It was over.

I had bet everything on Hikigaya, and failed miserably.

Worse, I had doomed him and everyone he had cared about to this fate.

It was at this precise moment that I heard a voice in my head that wasn't mine.

… _kill you…_

I looked up, a bead of sweat running down the side of my face.

A psychic voice?

The words came again, louder this time, clearer.

_... I'll kill you…_

"Impossible…"

The words came once more, this time the psychic force behind them threatened to rip my sanity apart.

**I'll fucking kill you.**

For the second time that night, every hair on my body stood on end, and I felt even the smallest movements being sealed away. I might as well have been a living statue. It was a miracle my heart was still beating, considering the amount of ominous power radiating from _him._

The gravity itself seemed to have grown ten times, and the mere act of breathing became an extreme effort comparable to running a marathon.

As I looked on, speechless, Hikigaya's mangled body rose from the ground, fatal injuries and all. The Omega energy had manifested in visible form around him, forming supports to hold his broken back in place. With a sickening deformation of the flesh, the power pushed the bones into their proper positions, and the skin on him began to change, turning grey, hardening to something akin to rock.

And all the time, his aura continued to grow, and with it the oppressive weight of the atmosphere.

The Hybrid, not wasting any time, simply swung at him once again, enlargening its already massive limb with the help of its symbiotic portion.

The blow connected square on, the impact managing to shake me all the way over here.

It didn't even budge Hikigaya.

He did not speak aloud. Only psychically, in a voice devoid of any trace of mercy, a voice that could frozen hell over thrice. The words were directed at the Hybrid, but I wouldn't be surprised if everyone in Chiba heard them in their minds.

**We move to another battlefield.**

With speed greater than I could follow with my eyes, he made a sudden movement. A moment later, he was levitating far above the ground, holding the Hybrid by the throat.

_Impossible! That thing has the base strength of Doomsday, amped by the Hulk's rage boost! _

Even as I thought that, I realised that that was merely the incurable otaku in me speaking.

Darkseid had, in his time, gone toe to toe with beings far stronger, and he had done so without using his full power.

And Hikigaya had access to all of that.

Pulling his arm back, as if in preparation for a baseball throw, he swung it.

The shockwave generated managed to knock me, even at the distance I was, clean off my feet. A sonic boom echoed, and the gigantic Hybrid was launched upwards, disappearing from view in less than two seconds.

Hikigaya had thrown it into orbit.

_What strength! He removed the threat from the planet by brute force alone._

With blinding speed, the Omega empowered youth ascended, chasing his target.

__  
**Omega/Hachiman True Union POV: **

Space. I once remember, as a child, I'd read that unprotected, a human body in space would gradually run out of oxygen as it used up its available stores. If you held your breath, your lungs would expand and eventually burst. The water in you would vaporize, causing you to swell up. You might go into shock. You'd be exposed to unfiltered cosmic radiation. And eventually, your lifeless corpse would freeze up.

I was immune to that. Protected by my power.

**And so are you, isn't that right?**

The creature showed no sign of having understood my words.

There is some sort of mechanism installed in me, that blocks memories of any foe I face in this battle royale. A flimsy mechanism, a pointless one.

Reaching out with my mind, I ripped the relevant information from the creature's brain.

_I see. A metaphysical Trait that renders you immune to being erased from existence. And genetics that allow you to resurrect and regenerate from any injury. Also, inability to feel pain._

**We'll fix that presently. **

Channelling my power, I shot it towards him. This time, I wasn't aiming to erase him. Merely alter his cellular structure. Thus, I bypassed his plot armour.

Manipulating his body at the subatomic level, I deleted several thousand years' worth of information recorded in them, essentially taking away from it all the evolution it had undergone during that time, and thus, removed both its adaptability and its resurrection abilities. While I was at it, I removed and eradicated both the symbiotic component and the gamma irradiated component, taking away its ability to grow stronger with rage and change shape.

The results were obvious, it began to choke, reaching up in desperation to grasp at its own throat.

Grabbing hold on one arm at the elbow and the shoulder, I ripped it clean off its torso and tossed it away, sending it floating off. It uttered a silent scream. Ignoring it, I repeated the process with the other arm, before doing so for both legs.

**Now now. I didn't just take things away from you. I gave you** **some things too. Like the ability to feel pain. And, for the first time in your pathetic life, true immortality.  
You understand, don't you? You will float here in space, in agony and helpless, until this universe ceases to exist.**

Reaching out with both hands, I turned its torso around till its back was facing me. With a swift movement, I broke through its skin, and ripped out its spine before snapping it in half and tossing it away.

**Eye for an eye. **

**And I know you're listening. I know you're watching. The ones who set up this sick game. Rest assured, you have no idea what you've started.**

With the so-called monster rapidly turning into so much space debris, and my message delivered, I returned to the Earth. When I reached the place where this had begun, I found that they had moved Haruno's body. As I approached, they silently backed away, making space for me to see her.

She wasn't breathing.

I looked behind me, at a trail of destruction that extended a long way, through several houses.

**So I meant enough to you that you'd be willing to sacrifice all these lives, and your own, for me?**

The thought should have made me sick, and on a level, it did.

But I knew it must have been much worse for her. I had been in her mind, so I knew.

Yukinoshita Haruno had had both a heart and a conscience.

She had chosen to bear the burden of the guilt that came with her actions. And she had done it for me.

No matter how despicable it was, she had done it for me, and I would not let that be in vain.

**I'm no god. Just a human, who somehow ended up with more power than any human should have. I have no right to judge anyone.**

With an effort, we separated back to our individual selves, Omega and I.

**Hachiman's POV:**

_I'm just a human. And I'm selfish. I want her to live, and stay by my side._

_**Are you sure this is what you want? If we do resurrect her, she'll be bound to my power, dependent on it to stay alive. That's why I didn't want to reveal that option to you.**_

_But she will be free to do as she pleases with that life. Staying with me… is just a choice. One out of many. One I want her to have, along with the possibility of a happy life. It's not as if I'd make her stay._

Somewhere inside, I thought I saw Omega smile.

It was not the innocent, faux-pervert smile she had when joking around, or the bright, beaming one she had when I said something that pleased her.

This was a smile that was happy, but one belonging to someone who has seen untold suffering, and just witnessed another episode in that saga. There was sadness in that smile too, and I realized, she had never been looking down on us humans at all. Although she did not know what it felt like, she could empathize with us. With the joy we felt, and the pain, as mortals.

Channelling her power, we healed her flesh, then entered the Void, and from thence, retrieved Haruno's soul, and returned it to her body.

As we watched, warmth returned to her cheeks, causing a gasp of amazement from all of us, even me.

Slowly, she stirred.

"Hachiman?..."

_**Go on. You've made your choice. This time, don't half ass it.**_

I reached out and held her hand.

"That's the second time in one night, " I said.

She laughed lightly, and the sound made my heart skip a beat.

"Maybe I have a talent for dying."

"No. Not anymore."

I brushed aside her hair, feeling the soft skin of her cheeks in the process.

"Can I speak honestly, for once?"

She nodded.

"You and I… are more alike than I'd thought. Both tools. You, being used by people claiming to be your family, me by those claiming to be my friends."

She said nothing. Her only response was a dilation of the eyes, as they glittered.

I continued.

"Maybe I'm talking out of my ass. I don't know. Even after being inside your mind, I can't pretend to fully know you. But maybe because we're the same, I can see. It's hurt, hasn't it? All this time, being valued only for what you can do, and not who you are."

Her eyes were slightly moist, and I wiped away the tears gathering at their corners.

"Always being second best. Someone to be discarded once their purpose is served."

I laughed.

"Who am I to be speaking these arrogant words anyway? I don't deserve to be saying them. But they need to be said anyway. Validation? Praise? You don't need any of that."

Her expression began to change, but before it could, I made my meaning clear.

"You're an outstanding warrior and an even better woman. Those qualities remain true, now and always, and don't need validation. No amount of praise would be enough."

This time, her eyes truly lit up.

I took a deep breath.

"Even on my best day, I wouldn't deserve it. But even so, if you want… stay with me."

I waited for her answer.

She spoke softly.

"You know, not everything you saw before was a facade. I can be cruel at times. I'll probably end up hurting a lot of people, including you."

The wise words of a certain teacher came forth unbidden.

"Whether we know it or not, we hurt people simply by existing."

She laughed, and once again, the sound was like music.

"That sounds like something Shizuka chan would say."

"See? More proof that this can happen. We already know all the same people. Say, Haruno, I'm not kidding, you know. And I'm not offering this as some sort of fucked up consolation prize or some bullshit like that. I mean it. You truly are… something else…"

I felt heat rise to my face intensely, but forced myself to say the next words, despite how cringy they sounded in my head. For someone who can go up against a monster and die for me, the least I could do was say some really embarrassing stuff in front of other people.

"And you're special to me."

FUUUUU…

The mere act of saying that made me want to Omega beam myself out of existence. But in the midst of my self-loathing, I felt her hand close on mine.

"You don't need to try so hard, you know", Haruno said, voice breaking slightly. "You already know I've liked you for a while."

**?'s POV:**

And with that, we should have ended for a smooth ending to the Haruno arc, except, a certain, _extremely_ pissed voice broke the silence.

"HIKIO!" 


	13. Chapter 13

**Genuine**

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Isn't this exactly how the previous chapter began?"

"Stop trying to dodge the issue, Hikio."

I winced a little. So we're back to family names, huh?

In front of me sat two women.

One of them was older than me. With dark hair and uniquely scarlet eyes, she was formerly one of the most intimidating people I knew. Actually, I take that statement back. Knowing her, she can probably still be intimidating if she chooses to. As a matter of fact, the look she was giving me right now was scary as well, albeit for reasons different from usual. Her gaze was locked on to mine, the hint of a smile on her face as she stared at me in a way that was sending some very strong signals. Even in this awkward situation, she was perfectly calm, and was silently mouthing words at me. I had a feeling it was to deliberately piss off the person next to her, but I had an ever firmer feeling that she was sincere in her message, which was actually scarier. What words were she mouthing?

"_I want you."_

Be still, third leg. If you start rising now, this will not end like one of those gaijin pornos, in a threesome.

Of course, that was because of the other woman in the room.

If there was any doubt as to whether or not the Fire Queen still had her flames, let it be put to rest. Right now, she was burning a hole through me with her glare. Forget Daenerys. The mother of dragons, basilisks and any and all other fury known to man was right here, their combined power contained in that venomous glare. _Oh boy. Right about now, I'm really missing that new meek personality she'd developed._

"Hikio."

I gulped.

"_Explain." _

_Okay. Be calm and cool. You are only truly defeated if you give up. I have Level 100 stats. I also have a functioning brain. There is no way, I can lose this._

"Well," I began. "I wasn't lying. I really do like you."

This to Miura Yumiko. Observe response. Pupils momentarily dilated. Muscles relaxed. Good, she's calming dow-

"Then what was all that you were saying to _her_ just a moment ago?"

She gestured at Haruno san, who unnecessarily waved at me.

"Well, I like her too."

_FUUUUUUUU-_

_What have I done._

An assortment of objects came flying my way.

Books, chairs, utensils, hold on is that my fucking bed, why are these things hurting anyway? Don't I have like mountain level durability now?

The answer to that question was supplied by Omega.

_**It seems that MCs are always vulnerable to attacks by their girls.**_

_Fuck._

I desperately covered up.

"Oi, stop wrecking the house. We just put it back together."

"Shut up, you two-timing jerk!"

Yumiko was, to not put too fine a point on it, absolutely fucking furious.

"It's not two timing! I'm not hiding anything from you."

As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I realized I maybe should have uttered them. I was hit with a mental image of Omega relaxing on a beach with a bowl of popcorn in hand as she watched all this go down.

_Oi, help me out here._

_**No way. This is the most fun I've had in ages, including the times old Darkseid was slapping the shit out of that Kryptonian. **_

Realizing I was about to get no help from the incurable pervert living inside me, I decided to take matters into my own hands, and do the right thing. It's something heroes have done since ancient times. Jack Sparrow did it. Joseph Joestar did it. Gintoki Sakata does it all the time.

"Nigerundaiyo!"

Without further ado, I attempted to run away.

Keyword: attempted.

Before I could even get up, a certain someone had decided to shield me from Yumiko's barrage. Of course, her way of shielding me involved climbing on to my lap. Alarmed, I tried backing away, but I was almost at the wall. That, combined with my hurried movement, meant that I lost my balance and ended up leaning against in. Taking advantage, Haruno snuggled closer to me, placing her head against my chest and giving Yumiko what I was sure was a taunting smile.

"Now now, Miura _chan._ That's no way to respond to honesty. If you keep this up, you'll end up driving Hachiman away. But maybe that's for the best. _I'll get to keep him all to myself._"

So saying, she brought her face dangerously close to mine.

It was at this point that I observed changes happening at the genetic level in Yumiko's body. She was changing from human to super saiyan through sheer force of anger. Any moment now, she was going to use the Kamehameha and blast me out of the planet.

_Wait, why is it decided that I'm Vegeta? Don't I get a say in this?_

_**You're sort of being uncool right now**_, Omega pointed out.

_Whose side are you on anyway?_

_**I'm on your side, but you're behaving like one of those bitch MCs without a pair. **_

She sighed.

_**For a so-called monster of logic, you're remarkably stupid, aren't you? **_

_If you have a solution, I'd love to hear it._

Once more, she sighed.

_**So I'm going to have to spell it out for you, huh? **_

_Yes, and please hurry up. She looks like she's nearly done powering up her Kaioken._

I saw a mental image of Omega dressed up in a button up shirt and pencil skirt, with a lab coat over it all. She was wearing glasses too, and carrying a clipboard with a paper on it which I was sure was blank. Adjusting her spectacles with the air of a doctor looking at her patient, she cleared her throat.

_Any time today_, I thought drily.

She pouted and muttered something about no sense of presentation or humour, before getting to the point.

_**For whatever reason, humans have (mostly) settled for monogamy as the ideal way of life when it comes to finding a partner. As far as that train of thought goes, you've already failed spectacularly. You've developed feelings for two people at the same time, and all three of you know it. **_****

She'd pretty much nailed the situation on the head.

_**Let's see what your choices are in this situation. Firstly, you could go with monogamy, and choose to further your relationship with either Haruno or Yumiko. Choose a route, as these otaku like to call it. But what does that really entail?**_

_**You'd be rejecting one of them. **_

My eyes widened. Of all the ways to look at a harem situation, this was one I had never considered.

_**You know what I'm saying, don't you? Both Yumiko and Haruno have come to trust you over the course of the past few days. In that short period of time, you've single-handedly proved to them that good men exist. You've helped them, and you've done so without any strings attached. However, as the three of you went through these experiences together, they began to like you, as you did them. This is not a shallow crush or an infatuation. The lengths to which the three of you have gone prove this.**_

_**Do you understand? At this point, getting rejected in favour of the other would be like telling them they're not good enough. The one person they care about and trust would be telling them that he's choosing the other person. You'd be destroying them.**_

I listened silently, dumbstruck by these revelations. They were perfectly true of course. On no level could I say her reasoning was flawed.

She continued.

_**Of course. That isn't the only option.**_

I waited expectantly for her to say what the other choice was.

_**Alternatively, you could choose… neither of them. But be honest, Hachiman. That would destroy **_**you**_**, wouldn't it? You're at your limit. Maybe the world doesn't see it, but I live in here, and I see it. You're tired of being used. Tired of having feelings that remain one-sided. If all you get for your efforts is nothing, you'd rather not try at all. Just simply live alone, not caring. But everyday you spent like that killed you a little inside. When Yumiko came into your life, you found out what it was like to mean something to someone. When you found out how Haruno felt about you, you felt happy. You'd rather die than leave either of them.**_

Once again, I could only nod. Despite the fact that she resided within me, actually summing up my confused feelings into clear words was an act that left me stunned, since it forced me to confront them.

She went on.

_**And there you have it. The reasons why monogamy won't work for you. By the current moral and ethical standards of humanity, you're a lust-filled maniac, who treats women like possessions.**_

I lowered my head. It was true. All this time, I told myself I was fighting for the freedom of these women. For their right to choose how to live, and who to live with, rather than be swayed by the power of some hax Protagonist Trait. And that was still true. I would still fight to prevent them from being controlled.

Yet, that wasn't the _only_ thing I was fighting for. Somewhere along the way, I had also started fighting so that they'd be with me. I'd unhesitatingly wrecked both Rito Yuuki and the red cosplay bastard because I thought they'd take Yumiko from me. I'd asked Haruno to live with me, and that was self-explanatory.

I wasn't altruistic. I liked them. Liked both of them.

I liked Miura Yumiko for her fiery heart and spirit, which she wore on her sleeve unashamed, for the entire world to see. It was something I could never do. For someone like me, who hid in the dark and watched, her presence burned as bright as the sun. Yet, underneath that tough exterior was a sensitive girl, who had been hurt before, but had the courage to try again. Once again, that was something I hadn't had the courage to do. I liked Miura Yumiko for that heart, and her honest, powerful feelings.

I liked Yukinoshita Haruno for her strength and courage. I admired her for them. Here was a woman who had carried burdens beyond anything I could have imagined, and had done so without the world being any the wiser about how she was suffering inside. Here was a woman who had known the pain of being used and abused, until it had turned her into someone who extracted what amusement she could from the discomfort of others. Yet, not once during all that had she ever turned her back on her sister. In her own way, she had continued to look out for her. And when the time came, she was willing to sacrifice anything to protect someone she cared about. I had seen that firsthand during the battle with the Hybrid. She was unabashed about how selfish she was, and how loyal she was.

The thought of walking away from either of them… pained me just to think about.

I had become the sort of bastard I'd hated.

A selfish MC who pretends to stand on the moral high ground while kicking, clawing and scratching to hold on the women he meets. A selfish bastard who wants everyone.

Omega spoke again, but this time in a far softer voice.

_**Yes, selfish. Not the pure-hearted loner you thought you were. Denying it is pointless. So why not be honest instead? **_

I looked at her in my mind, and she was smiling slightly.

_**No matter how it makes you appear to other humans, your feelings aren't false, nor are they weak. Whatever else you are, Hachiman, you aren't a bad person. You haven't toyed with Yumiko or Haruno, nor have you coerced them. Your intentions towards them aren't evil.**_ _****_

_**Don't be yet another MC who thoughtlessly leads everyone around him along, with no sincerity. Tell them the truth. **_

My jaw dropped open.

Omega had, quite directly, just advised me to go for the true harem route.

_But it would be unfair to them both…_

_**Why? Are you planning on giving anything less than a hundred percent to either of them? **_****

I shook my head.

_**Then let them decide if they're OK with it or not. Just speak your heart, and let them choose for themselves.**_

I took a deep breath and looked at Omega's mental self in my head. She nodded encouragingly.

Opening my eyes, I saw Yumiko about to throw the dining table at Haruno and me.

_Right. All or nothing._

Gently extricating myself from Haruno, I got up and made my way over to Yumiko.

"I'm not kidding. I really do like Haruno. There's no chance of that changing."

A flicker of pain crossed Yumiko's emerald eyes, and they began to water.

"You fucking jerk!"

She broke the table over my head. It hurt, but I stayed standing. Tears in her eyes, she turned and began to storm off, but I caught her hand.

The situation was reminiscent of the way she had left the last time.

_No. I'll make sure there are no misunderstandings this time. _

"You didn't let me finish," I said to her.

"I don't give a shit what you have to say," she replied, without turning around.

"I was going to say I wasn't kidding about liking you. And there's no chance of that changing."

She turned around, her voice breaking as she spoke.

"How the fuck can you say that with a straight face, Hikio? How can you expect me to believe that, after everything you've told me about traits? After I left, I thought, you couldn't have been using it on me. So I came back… only to find you already with someone else. How the hell am I supposed to trust you?"

"You can't. There's no reason for you to trust someone like me. Someone who shamelessly admits to liking two people at the same time. Logically, there's no reason to trust a person who makes a statement like that. It's something that comes out of a womanizer."

Yumiko's pull on my hand weakened, and she looked down, wiping her eyes.

"But this isn't about logic. I'm not that selfless. Not anymore. So all I can do is tell you is that this is the truth, Miura… no, Yumiko. I… like you. I'm just a loner who's gotten lucky a lot lately. Before you came… can I really call what I was doing living? I met you, and I thought of what I knew you as back in school: just an arrogant social queen who looks down on everyone. But you proved me wrong. I could waste a lot of time trying to say how you're different from what I thought you were, Yumiko, but none of that would be enough. So what I'll say is…

You gave me a reason to live."

I realized I was wiping my own eyes now.

"Before I knew it, I'd grown attached to you, in just one week. Seems impossible, doesn't it? But I felt good around you. I didn't have to think. Didn't have to over analyse. For the first time in who knows how long, I was happy. It took me a while to realize, it was because of you.

You changed my life, Yumiko.

I'm selfish. And I know I'm asking for too much. I know what I'm saying is hard to believe, harder to accept. But I want to be with you. These are my honest feelings. I've never toyed with you, and never will. You've never been, and never will be, "just another person" to me. And neither will Haruno.

That's why… I don't want to lose either of you. In the end, this is the genuine I've decided on. It's selfish. Greedy. But it isn't a lie. All I can do now is wait for your answers. Both of yours."

I let go of her arm and backed away.

Now that I'd said what I had to, all the courage I'd mustered up was gone. I felt like the guy who's somehow managed to take his first dive at the pool, and is in the air, about to hit the water, wondering if he hasn't just made a terrible mistake.

I couldn't even bring myself to look at either of them.

A silence as brittle as glass followed my last statement. One could have cut the tension with a knife.

"_And what if I don't want to share you?"_

I looked up at Yumiko. She had her fists clenched. Her eyes were rimmed with red, but her gaze was strong now. Determined.

"I don't want half of you, Hikio," she said, softly. That single, quiet statement had more weight to it than any amount of shouting or screaming.

"Don't you see? You already have all of me. Even if you leave now, that won't change."

For a moment, she glared at me, before grimacing in frustration.

"You already know I'm not going anywhere, Hikio."

The sheer relief those words gave me was almost enough to make my legs give out.

She took a step forwards, towards me.

"This is insane. This whole idea is insane. Even those jerk-off harem mangas don't go this far. You're actually suggesting we do this."

Running her hands through her hair, she seemed to be talking to herself now.

I could see it now. We'd ventured into unknown territory. The blanket of comic effect was no longer there to soften the truth of what I had said. After all, isn't that what a harem manga is? Using humour to sell impossible situations? Glossing over the turmoil and difficulty of relationships? Treating people as if they were mere options, "routes", to be taken or ignored at will.

And worst of all, those half-assed protags. They're not dense. I refuse to believe they don't know what's going on around them. And if they do, they ought to realise. They're playing with people. With their feelings and their lives. Spend all your time chasing after one girl, while conveniently leading others along. Why? Are they nothing better than back-up options for you?

And it isn't just something that happens in stories. More than anything, I knew what it was like to be lead on. It wasn't even their fault. I was the one who read too deeply into perfectly normal interactions. It had been wrong of me to expect anything in the first place. As if being helpful to someone automatically gave me the right to expect their feelings. I knew that was wrong. No one was obliged to like me.

But that was also how I knew. Feelings are never rational. Logic has nothing to do with them. It's hard enough with misunderstandings. People who deliberately lead others on… are nothing but scum.

So I refuse. I refuse to play the dense MC card. I refuse to use the "nakama-zone" as a get out of jail free card. I never thought of either of these two as friends in the first place.

I refuse to compromise.

This is my genuine. My way.

I approached Yumiko.

Cautiously, because I was still nervous, I reached out.

"It is insane. It won't be easy. But I want to try", I said.

To my immense surprise, she looked up and grabbed my collar, bringing her face closer, centimetres from mine.

"You better try. Because if all of this was just you talking air, I'm going to kill you."

Those fiery emerald eyes glittered. Uncertainty. Doubt. They were in there. But she wanted to give this a try. She thought I was worth it.

_Time to repay that trust._

I leaned in closer as well.

"I'll give it 120 percent. And we'll pick up where we left off. There's no way I'm okay with you gaining a Tsundere Trait, or us having to spend another five chapters making relationship progress we already have all over again."

"_Ahem."_

The both of us looked at Haruno, who hadn't moved from her spot by the wall yet. Unlike us, she seemed perfectly at ease.

"Well, that took ages, but you managed to accept it."

Rising up, she made her way over to us. Far from being doubtful or nervous, she seemed confident and open. That simple change from her old facade was staggering. The raw sexuality she was exuding was almost unreal, on the level of a hax ability.

_Scary._

"Personally, I have no problem."

She placed on her finger under my chin, running them over my skin softly.

"Honesty scores big in my book, and it must have taken a pair to come out and say all that up front. I'm looking forward to our 'progress' as well."

"Oi, Hikio, I wasn't done talking to you yet."

_What have I gotten myself into?_

_**That which all men dream of, but few have the courage to pursue.**_

**  
**A mental image came my way, of Omega back to her usual garb, a leather outfit that was far too stimulating to the imagination.

_**By the way, there is one person I forgot to mention earlier.**_****

_Someone you forgot to mention? _

I thought back to what she said, and couldn't figure out who she might be talking about.

_**For all that talk about not being dense, you sure can't see some obvious things. **_

_Being direct doesn't hurt, you know._

She smiled slightly and winked before receding into my mind.

_**Nah. I'll see if you can figure this one out by yourself. **_


End file.
